“Test subject number 24. The subject lasted for two minutes and forty-five seconds after the administration of Valkyrie. Time of death: 4.22 AM.”

I should be the only one at home. Who’s talking?

Han Xiao opened his eyes, only to be blinded by light. The familiar hatch of his VR-capsule was no longer there—instead, he was facing a white ceiling. The walls that surrounded him were also white and reminiscent of cold, hard metal. They felt like something straight out of science fiction. The room resembled an intensive care unit, and Han Xiao lay atop a cold metal table, bare-chested and wired to all sorts of machines. His back was freezing.

Han Xiao noticed that there was a group of people in white coats surrounding him, and they were looking at him as though they had just seen a ghost.

I thought I just accepted a leveling request? Where am I?

Suddenly, Han Xiao felt as though a large amount of data was being transmitted into his mind, causing his head to throb painfully. The last thing he could remember was accepting a leveling assignment. He was in the midst of creating a new character in ‘Galaxy’ when he seemingly started to smell burnt eggs…

“Quickly, let Ms. Hila know! The test subject has come back to life!”

“Call the guards!”

As the researchers started a commotion, Han Xiao realized that he could understand them, even though they were speaking in a language he had never heard before. ‘Test subject’, ‘back to life’, and ‘guards’—these terms unnerved him. Soon, he could hear the sound of rushing footsteps coming from outside.

Should I make a run for it or just lie still? Han Xiao decided on the former in a split second; he was not the kind of person to just lie around waiting. He abruptly sprang up, ripping the wires off him, and made a clumsy beeline for the door. The researchers did not attempt to stop him, instead, they backed off hastily to avoid being knocked into.

Crash!

He pushed his way out into a white corridor, only to be greeted by a dozen or so guards suited in black and armed with electric batons advancing upon him from both sides.

Han Xiao gasped at the sight of the crest on their uniforms. It depicted half a plant.

The Germinal Organization from Planet Aquamarine back in version one? Weren’t they eliminated‽

Suddenly, a guard swung his electric baton at Han Xiao and Han Xiao unconsciously raised a hand to block it. The ensuing current caused his whole body to spasm in pain. It felt like his bones were about to split and his entire body turned numb.

Is the pain calibration at 100%‽

Galaxy’s pain calibration was restricted to a maximum of 40% because any higher setting could potentially cause nerve damage to players. The VR-capsule was also supposed to monitor the player’s vitals to prevent this, but it was currently malfunctioning.

It’s only been seven years and the capsule is having problems? Damn it! The repairman I paid $300 to a few days ago told me that it would still be good for another six months! I want a refund!

The guards yanked him up and took him to a small room where they locked him up alone in pitch black darkness.

Han Xiao grimaced in pain as he massaged his wrist. His head continued to throb as more information poured in.

It took Han Xiao a moment to reconcile the facts and make sense of what had happened to him.

I’ve… transmigrated into Galaxy?

His eyes widened with amazement.

Galaxy was a fully immersive virtual reality game that ran servers worldwide and boasted a peak concurrent player count of almost 60 million.

The game was set in a vast universe with a world map and landscapes that were procedurally generated using the latest generation of quantum computers. The scale of its world was massive, and it was said to be able to run smoothly even with a billion concurrent players. There existed many organizations and companies that specialized in farming gold and running dungeons, and the best pieces of gear could even go for ridiculous prices of up to a million US dollars.

Being an extremely popular game, good balance was of the utmost important. While big spenders did have certain advantages, it was not so unfair to the extent that it displeased the casual players. Maintaining competitiveness and improving skills were key factors towards game balance, and Galaxy did a good job in these areas, facilitating its strong allure as an e-sport.

Although Han Xiao did indeed make a living out of playing the game, the term ‘professional gamer’ didn’t fit him well. He was, instead, one of the despised power levelers and preferred to work solo.

Han Xiao had been playing the game since its very inception, and through the numerous patches, he had made a name for himself. In the last annual top 100 rankings, he placed 47th. He definitely had what it took to try his hand at going pro, but what he enjoyed most about the game was the leveling experience.

“The Germinal Organization originates from one of the beginner planets new characters were sent to back in Version 1 of Galaxy: Planet Aquamarine,” mumbled Han Xiao.

Before transmigrating, Galaxy had already been operating for over a decade. Version 1.0 was ancient history.

“Have I time traveled too?” Han Xiao’s expression darkened.

“Does that mean I won’t be getting my three hundred dollars back‽

“Am I stupid‽ That’s the least of my concerns!” Han Xiao slapped himself.

His memories were still jumbled up, and he could not recall anything about his original life—not even his name. All that he could recall were details regarding this world, such as its present era. He was currently in the year 687 of the Galaxy calendar, a year behind the updated timeline.

In Version 1, there were three universal powers that were upholding a peace that had lasted for ten thousand years, since the era of exploration. They were the Commonwealth of Light, the Crimson Dynasty, and the Arcane Church. The Silver Revolutionary Army had yet to be formed, the one responsible for the Supernatural Disaster was still fighting for dear life on some desolate planet, the World of Light had not come into existence, the civilization of the World Tree had not yet invaded from the beyond, and the Shattered Belt that contained Planet Aquamarine was still budding inconspicuously along the fringes of the explored universe.

In order to ensure that the game remained attractive, Galaxy borrowed and implemented ideas from its predecessors, such as ‘WoW’, where each version update revolved around a disaster or some major event. While Han Xiao enjoyed the game, now that he had transmigrated over…

“Get me out!”

While the Germinal Organization was small fry compared to the interstellar powers introduced in later updates, to the currently powerless Han Xiao, it was an entirely different story.

“Planet Aquamarine was modeled after Earth, and the Germinal Organization’s aim is to overthrow this planet’s government. If I’m not wrong, Valkyrie test subjects are brainwashed to serve as cannon fodder.”

The body he currently possessed had experienced a memory wipe. Apart from some general knowledge, all that remained were fragmented memories of captivity and experimentation.

It seemed to be roughly twenty years old and bore a slight semblance to his original self. However, its state of health was as yet uncertain. He had heard the researchers mention that he had been injected with Valkyrie, one of the Germinal’s gene altering drugs that was used to strengthen the brain. Valkyrie had a survival rate of only 30%, but this body had reacted positively to it.

Suddenly, a glowing line of blue text blue appeared before his eyes.

_____________________

You have been injected with Valkyrie!

+1 Endurance

You have learnt a new ability: Concentration

You have learnt a new ability: Low Level Willpower

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“Virtual interface!” Han Xiao jumped for joy.

_____________________

Name: Han Xiao

Race: Human/Carbon-based (Yellow)

Model: NPC (Countdown to Version 1.0 launch: 358 days 11 hours 03 minutes)

Level: 1

Experience: 0

Main Class: N.A.

Sub-class: Civilian Lv. 1 (0/50)

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Endurance 3, Intelligence 3, Mystery 1, Charm 2, Luck 1

Unassigned Stats: 0

Energy: 0 (Lv. 0)

Energy Rank: 1~2

Grade: F (Mortal)

[Piece of trash with a combat strength of 5; pick any NPC out from the streets and he will wipe the floor with you a hundred times! A hundred times!]

Health points: 23/30 (injured)

Stamina: 36/36

Abilities:

– Concentration: +10% to learning and crafting speeds

– Low Level Willpower: +3 Resistance

Skills: None

Talent points: 0

Class Talents: None

Influence: 0

Reputation: 0

Equipment: None

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“Thank god I still have the interface!”

Han Xiao was ecstatic but quickly discovered that there were several irregularities.

NPC, not a player? Countdown timer?

Han Xiao furrowed his brows as he organized his thoughts.

First of all, although he had no idea how the interface had transmigrated together with him, he had to treat this world as his new reality, meaning that if he died, he could not bank on being able to respawn like in a game.

Secondly, he could still access the system’s interface despite being classified as an NPC. This suggested that he could still level up like a player, which was good news.

Thirdly, if the countdown timer confirmed his suspicions that he had indeed traveled back in time to before the game’s launch, did it mean that ‘real’ players would soon appear?

Lastly, and most important of all, he was currently in grave danger!

Han Xiao felt indignant. Didn’t people who transmigrated normally receive perks such as resources, companions, or… at least an ex-girlfriend? At the very least, he should have started out in a safe location! The war hadn’t even begun, and he was already a lone hero deep behind enemy lines. A single slip could prove fatal; he could very well end up in the Hall of Heroes… if such a place existed.

Han Xiao only had one life here. If he died then that would be the end of it. It would be a pity.

Yes, Han Xiao only felt that it would be ‘a pity’. ‘I want to survive!’ would be a more normal line of thought. As for variations such as ‘My fate is not for the heavens to decide; if the heavens want to erase me, then I will erase the heavens!’ or ‘Swallow an aurous core to transcend life and death’, such ramblings were exclusive to people with second-grade syndrome.

“What the hell, why am I the only one SAO-ed?” Han Xiao lamented.

And while his senses confirmed that this was indeed reality, he started to wonder…

What exactly am I now? Am I an actual life-form, or am I just a bunch of data? Did my soul transmigrate, or is it something else entirely?

He sighed. I guess I’ll just have to make the best out of the situation and take it one step at a time.

The essential thing was to survive.

With a year to go before launch, he had enough time to get prepared; this was the sole glimmer of promise that he could cling on to.

Clank!

Suddenly, the door opened, and several people walked in. As he could only make out their silhouettes due to the light streaming in from outside, Han Xiao could not see their faces clearly. However, he could make out from their outlines that one of them was a woman with a fiery figure.

“The subject’s condition?”

Said woman spoke to her subordinate in a voice that was smooth, yet intertwined with an ever-so-faint rasp, reminiscent of a cup of rich coffee.

“It appears that the test subject has calmed down.”

The experiment leader, Lin Wei Xian, answered the woman as he stared at Han Xiao passionately, as though he were looking at a prized possession.

“Who are you people?” Han Xiao asked hoarsely.

“Hmm? Amnesia…?” The woman’s eye twitched.

“Valkyrie stimulates the brain, so memory loss is not unexpected,” replied Lin Wei Xian, squinting.

When Han Xiao’s eyes had finally adjusted to the light, he was stunned by the sight of the woman.

Boasting a headful of luscious, burgundy hair that concealed part of her face, the woman wore a tight-fitting, jet black bodysuit from which her curvaceous figure threatened to burst out at any time.

Her features were telling of her Western descent, but they were also composed of a certain softness that was characteristic of Eastern women; perhaps it was her mixed heritage that blessed her with such beauty and charm. In a different world, she could have been easily mistaken for a beautiful snake demoness.

If Da Ji had possessed such beauty, then King Zhou did not die in vain! ¹  thought Han Xiao.

“I am Hila, the commander here,” said the red haired woman as she looked at Han Xiao. She waved a hand and ordered, “Conduct a blood test. I want to see the report ASAP.”

Two stone-faced guards walked forward to yank him away. Their massive bodies and the fact that they were carrying guns dispelled any notion that Han Xiao had of resisting.

He recognized the ‘Crimson Snake’, Hila, and that this was one of the playable scenarios on Planet Aquamarine, Valkyrie Experiment Lab, located in a key base of Germinal.

During Version 1, Hila was a boss who had caused beginners on Aquamarine much grief. She had many nicknames, one of which was the ‘Goddess of Death’. She would eventually attain ‘Celestial’ class strength and rise to prominence in the Cotton Cluster.

Han Xiao laughed bitterly on the inside. The situation was bleak!

The blood test results were compiled quickly.

Hila went over the data she had received from Lin Wei Xian with knitted brows.

“No abnormalities detected?”

“Valkyrie mainly affects the brain. We will need to open the head up for assessment.”

Open the head up? snapped Han Xiao inwardly. Open the head up‽

Hila waved a hand in dismissal of the idea.

“He is the only subject to have ever survived the experiment. We’ll leave that option out for now.”

Han Xiao’s eyes lit up as he realized that his current status was somewhat advantageous for him.

Lin Wei Xian was not pleased by Hila’s decision, but he made no fuss about it.

“In that case, we’ll observe him for the time being to see if anything has changed.”

“Proceed with the brainwashing,” ordered Hila suddenly.

Brainwashing?

Han Xiao’s heart sank. Brainwashing was a common method of subordination, and while in the game, a brainwashed character would simply become an ally of the faction, it was completely different now! Losing his sense of self was the worst-case scenario.

No way!

The good news was that memory altering technology available on the planet was still under-developed, so the organization’s methods were very primitive; they made use of sensory stimuli to re-calibrate the subject. A character with at least ten points in Intelligence would be immune to the effects of the brainwash.

Valkyrie had given Han Xiao a +1 boost to the growth potential of his Endurance. Growth potential was an innate stat that affected the growth rate of the affected stat. Different races had differing starting potentials in each stat, and in the entire world of Galaxy, humans generally had a mediocre growth rate. They did, however, boast the highest Intelligence potential. As they also possessed the lowest Health, this single point in Endurance growth potential was nice to have.

[Concentration] gave him a 10% increase in mastery and crafting speeds, also increasing their success rates.

[Low Level Willpower] gave him three points of Willpower, which substituted for three points of Intelligence, so he still lacked three more Intelligence to survive the brainwash.

Leveling the Civilian class will boost a random stat by one, and also give me one unassigned stat point… but the chance for Intelligence to be boosted is extremely low…

Han Xiao knew that he could not rely on luck. In fact, he had always suspected that he was cursed. If a god or goddess did smile upon him, it would have to be the goddess of disaster. Rather than rely on luck, finding some way to learn a new class was a more reliable idea.

Although Han Xiao was incapable of moving freely, there had to be a way! After all, it was a scenario, wasn’t it?

Suddenly, he thought of something.

If I’m an NPC… I should be protected by the system… right?

“Take him,” ordered Hila.

Han Xiao was yanked away once again and brought to another room.

Han Xiao noticed that there was a bookshelf in this room.

<<Tom’s Introduction to Machinery>>

<<A Theory on Human Genes and Lizard Genes>>

<<Randt’s Hypothesis>>

…

They were all reference books.

Hold on, there’s a class book there! rejoiced Han Xiao.

Han Xiao disregarded the two guards behind him as he stood up to walk towards the shelf.

His actions startled everyone, and instantly, the two guards were pointing guns at him.

However, Han Xiao steeled his nerves and continued to approach the bookshelf.

You’d better not fire! he prayed. I’m a valuable test subject!

“Hold your fire! Let’s see what he’s up to,” shouted Lin Wei Xian all of a sudden.

The two guards hesitantly lowered their guns.

Han Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. He had been banking everything on his status as the first successful subject.

<<Tom’s Introduction to Machinery>>

This was the book that had caught Han Xiao’s eye. He picked it out from the shelf and started flipping through.

Although the long paragraphs of texts and complex diagrams were hard for Han Xiao to comprehend, he patiently read on. After twenty seconds or so, the interface lit up.

_____________________

You have completed one session of self-learning in basic machinery knowledge!

[Basic Assembly] has progressed by 2.0% (based on your Intelligence).

(+0.2% from Concentration)

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As I expected! Han Xiao rejoiced. Although he wasn’t able to understand the book’s contents on his own, the system’s automated mastery system had allowed him to directly absorb the knowledge.

Lin Wei Xian curiosity was piqued. The test subject seemed to be learning!

He allowed Han Xiao to continue in order to observe him more.

The entire room was now silent, except for the rustling of paper.

_____________________

[Basic Assembly]

Progress Rate:

15% (+1.5%)

…

29% (+2.9%)

…

48% (+4.8%)

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Han Xiao’s reading speed increased with time. However, the pressure mounted on. Every second that passed could be his last.

When Hila arrived at the room, the sight of Han Xiao reading caused her to frown.

“What’s going on?”

Lin Wei Xian began to explain what had happened.

“You’re saying that his learning ability has been strengthened?”

“That is my initial conclusion. If you allow me to open his head up to perform a thorough assessment, I will be able to come up with a more complete answer.”

Han Xiao flinched.  How much does this bastard love brains‽

Hila thought to herself, If his brain has been enhanced, he could prove to be more valuable than we initially thought…

“Is the brainwashing apparatus ready?” she asked.

“Preparations are complete.”

Damn it! I have to be faster! thought Han Xiao.

Suddenly, a notification accompanied with a sound popped up on the interface.

_____________________

[Basic Assembly]

Progress rate: 90% (+10%)

You have learned basic knowledge of Machinery, unlocking the Mechanic talent tree!

You have unlocked a new profession:

[Mechanic (Novice)]

Strength +10, Intelligence +1, Endurance +1

You have gained 2 stat points.

You have gained 1 talent point.

You have acquired new skills:

[Mechanic (Novice)]

[Basic Maintenance]

[Basic Enhancement]

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As warmth surged through Han Xiao’s body, he realized to his surprise that he could actually comprehend the contents of the book now!

I can gain actual knowledge from the game‽ Are you kidding me? Galaxy has been in service for over a decade! How come the Federation of Earth hasn’t conquered the Milky Way yet‽

Strange…

The ‘Character Information Interface’ had updated as well:

_____________________

Name: Han Xiao

Race: Human/Carbon-based (Yellow)

Model: NPC (countdown to Version 1.0 launch: 358 days 10 hours 11 minutes)

Level: 2

Experience: 0

Main Class: Engineer (Novice) – Lv. 1 (0/200)

Sub-class: Civilian – Lv. 1 (0/50)

Health: 43/50 (injured)

Stamina: 80/80

Attributes: 3 Strength, 3 Dexterity, 5 Endurance, 4 Intelligence, 1 Mystery , 2 Charisma, 1 Luck

Unassigned Stats: 2

Energy: 10/10 [Lv. 1]

Lv. 1 (10) – [Strength +1, Dexterity + 1, Endurance + 1, MAX STAMINA + 20]

Energy Rank: 3~4

Grade: F (Mortal)

[You still lack the combat strength to take on 5 lowly thugs.]

Abilities:

– Concentration: +10% to mastery and crafting speeds

– Lesser Willpower: +3 to focus

Skills:

[Mechanic (Novice)]

Lv 1 (0/1000) – Increases mastery of engineering

[Basic Maintenance]

Lv 1 (0/400) – Able to perform simple maintenance

[Basic Enhancing]

Lv 1 (0/600) – Able to enhance machinery

Potential: 1

Class Talents:

– Arms: Basic Assembly Lv 1 [19 talents not learnt]

– Energy: [20 talents not learnt]

– Control: [20 talents not learnt]

Influence: 0

Legend: 0

Equipment: None

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Regarding stats, Strength improved melee damage and was also a requirement for some heavy equipment.

Dexterity improved movement speed, attack speed, and evasion. It also gave a bonus to ranged attacks.

Endurance increased Health and Energy. 1 Endurance gave 10 HP and 10 Energy. Endurance also affected some abilities and skills and increased HP and Energy recovery rates.

All actions depleted Energy, be it attacking, blocking, walking, running, swimming, crafting, etc.

Endurance also affected physical defense. There were many formulas contributing to the calculation of defense. For example, even if two characters’ defense stats were equal, one of them might not be wearing metal armor, so they would take more damage from a bullet than the other character.

Other factors that affected damage taken included Energy, range, bullet type, racial characteristics, and equipment material. All of these factors were taken into consideration when calculated by the quantum computer that the servers were run on. It was impossible for players to accurately optimize defense, but this wasn’t that big of a deal, as having more defense could only be a good thing.

Intelligence affected growth rates and Willpower. A character with higher Intelligence could master their skills faster. It also increased mastery and crafting speeds, and it could affect the quality of any machinery crafted by a Mechanic, making it the most important stat for the class.

Mystery affected a character’s talent for supernatural powers, and it affected psychic powers and magic abilities, like how Strength or Dexterity affected physical abilities.

Charm was useful when improving relationships with different NPCs and Factions. It even enabled characters to enjoy discounts with certain sellers.

Luck affected judgement and item drop rates.

These were the seven main attributes that stat points could be added to.

Then, there was also Energy, a core component of the game that functions as ‘Mana’ for superpowers. It could only be increased through leveling or by acquiring certain skills, and it was described as ‘a manifestation of the dormant power that lies in living cells’. Energy was a requirement to unlocking superpowers, as well as latent awakening.

A character would also receive bonus stats based on their Energy level. Lv. 1 Energy was reached at 10 points, Lv. 2 at 50 points, and Lv. 3 at 100 points. Each Energy level would give random stats according to the character’s class, and a character with a higher level class would benefit more from this. This bonus worked retroactively.

Energy was also the mana for superpowers, and the additional stats received from Energy were lost when the amount of Energy remaining dropped below its tier.

For example, Lv. 1 stat bonuses would be lost when Energy dropped below 10 points; the character would become fatigued after exhausting power, and this affected their combat ability. This mechanic made micromanagement in combat important.

Energy recovered automatically but at a slow rate. However, Stamina could be used to recover Energy faster. Also, when using Superpowers without sufficient Energy, Stamina could be used as a substitute, and when there was both insufficient Energy and Stamina, Health could be used. Many players ended up dying carelessly by sucking themselves dry this way.

A character’s grade reflected their combat strength. Characters were ranked according to their grade. The standard unit of measurement for Energy was the Ona.

Superhumans were graded A, B, C, D, or E, based on their Ona levels.

An E-grade superhuman, such as the present-day Hila, possessed 100 Ouna.

A Celestial-class superhuman would fall under grade A. Grade A superhumans were capable of planetary-scale destruction.

Of course, grade A wasn’t the limit. Han Xiao knew this, having transcended grade A himself. However, then was then and now is now.

Having gained two unassigned stat points from unlocking the Mechanic class, Han Xiao still needed one more Intelligence in order to endure the brainwash.

Apart from leveling up, there did not seem to be a way for him to obtain it. How was he supposed to gain experience? He obviously couldn’t hunt monsters now or complete quests!

Damn it, is there no way?

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Han Xiao.

He abruptly tossed the book to a side and proceeded to stare at the gun on the guard’s waist with a blank expression.

Hila frowned but did not act. Everyone looked on to see what Han Xiao was up to.

Han Xiao walked rigidly towards the guard. As if to make his intentions extremely clear, he reached out exaggeratedly for the gun.

The guard instinctively drew his gun, and although Han Xiao did not seem to have any intention of snatching it, he tightened his grip.

As Han Xiao was moving extremely slowly, the guard did not see a need to fire.

“Unload the gun and let him have it,” ordered Hila.

She was keen to know Han Xiao’s motives.

The guard obliged and proceeded to do so.

Upon receiving the gun, some information popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.

_____________________

73-WASP (Small Caliber Handgun)

Grade: Grey

Damage: 28 -35

Fire Rate: 1.1/s

Power Output: 13

Key components: Spring, Slide, Firing pin, Magazine (missing)

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[Basic Assembly] automatically gave Han Xiao knowledge about many types of machines, and the blueprints for a 73-WASP appeared in his mind.

Instantly, Han Xiao understood how to assemble it. While in the game he simply needed to ‘load’ the gun after ‘learning’ it, he now had to perform some more technical procedures.

Everything was truly far more immersive than it had been in the game, confirming his suspicion that he had transmigrated to an actual ‘reality’.

Han Xiao began to strip the handgun and reassemble it.

The skill icon for [Basic Assembly] lit up.

After 40 seconds, he finished the task.

To a specialist, 40 seconds was nothing. However, Han Xiao was a complete newbie!

He had only spent 10 minutes on a book!

Everyone was shocked.

Is this the effect of Valkyrie‽

Lin Wei Xian started speaking excitedly. “Such learning prowess! If I can analyze his brain, perhaps I can recreate…”

Go to hell! How much, exactly, are you obsessed with brains?

Han Xiao proceeded to repeat reassembling the handgun.

_____________________

You have succeeded at an Assembly (Basic)

69% perfection rate, 28 exp gained

You have succeeded at an Assembly (Basic)

73% perfection rate, 32 exp gained

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There were many ways to gain experience in Galaxy. Apart from hunting monsters and completing quests, skills and crafting were two key sources of experience for Mechanics.

As Han Xiao repeated the task again and again, he gradually became faster and faster. He was soon able to complete the task in a mere 20 seconds.

“Proceed with brainwashing now,’ ordered Hila suddenly.

Fortunately for Han Xiao, it had been enough. He had accumulated a total of 200 experience points.

Use all experience to level up Class: [Mechanic]!

Ding!

_____________________

[Mechanic (Novice)] has leveled up.

Lv. 1 -> Lv. 2

Energy +10

Intelligence +1, Endurance +1

You have gained 2 stat points

You have gained 1 talent point

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Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

That was close.

Han Xiao was strapped to a metal seat with his eyes forcefully pried open by extensions. Before him was a black screen with speakers on either side.

He was unable to move at all.

“How long is the procedure?”

“Twelve hours.”

“Keep watch here,” ordered Hila before she left with some grunts.

Lin Wei Xian activated the procedure, and the screen lit up. It began to display all kinds of geometric shapes and patterns that morphed continuously. The vivid, rapidly changing colors and harshly alternating music caused Han Xiao much discomfort. While he wanted to close his eyes badly, he was unable to, and soon, his eyeballs turned bloodshot and swollen.

Ah! This is so uncomfortable!

It was a primitive method of brainwashing. The theory behind it was to overwhelm and distort the subject’s thoughts to make it easier to feed messages into their mind.

It did, however, have the advantage of not causing permanent damage to the brain, which both Han Xiao and Lin Wei Xian could appreciate.

The depraved expression on Lin Wei Xian’s face enraged Han Xiao. He felt like he was a pig at the slaughterhouse.

Han Xiao added two of his four unassigned points into Intelligence.

_____________________

You are being Brainwashed (Low Level)

Your Intelligence: 7

Your Resistance: 3

Brainwash Failed

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Han Xiao’s discomfort immediately eased.

…

At the end of the twelve hours, Han Xiao’s entire body was aching, and his eyes were completely dried out.

Hila returned on schedule. The boss had assigned her the task of brainwashing Han Xiao, so she had to ensure that everything went smoothly.

She undid Han Xiao’s shackles, revealing bruises on his limbs. Although Han Xiao was still hurting, he continued to look at the screen blankly in order to act the part.

Hila suddenly bent forward, and her face came to within two inches of his. Her moist breath fell upon his lips, but Han Xiao was far too concerned with his predicament to be distracted.

Perfume filled up his nostrils, tickling him, and it took great effort on his part to resist the urge to sneeze.

“Who are you?” asked Hila in a soft, hypnotic voice.

Han Xiao decided to twitch his face instead of replying.

Although Han Xiao had never been a good actor, it wasn’t too hard to act like an idiot.

Suddenly, Hila began to whisper into his ear. As her hair tickled Han Xiao’s throat, two snowy mountains came into his view through the window of her collar. He steeled his heart with a prayer.

Between the mountains is a valley, empty like the void.

Atop the seas stands an island, straight as a tree.

I, who have seen over a hundred gourds, will not fall for your bait!

“From today onward, your name is Zero. The Germinal Organization is your home, your country, and your everything. You will forever be loyal to the organization and will forever strive to help the organization achieve its goals. You will neither hide anything from nor betray the organization. You will carry out your orders faithfully, and you will sacrifice yourself for the greater good when the time comes!”

Lin Wei Xian broke out in manic laughter.

“Your life belongs to the organization. You will do whatever you are ordered to do,” he added.

“Who are you?” re-questioned Hila.

This time, Han Xiao knew that he had to reply. However, he did not reply immediately.

Hila shot a frown towards Lin Wei Xian.

“I followed the procedure! It’s not my fault—”

Suddenly, Han Xiao began to speak.

“I… am… Zero…”

Lin Wei Xian’s eyes lit up.

“Valkyrie strengthened Zero’s learning ability. However, as a side effect, it impaired his speech.”

Hila thought back to Zero’s earlier behavior. He had indeed responded slowly to his surroundings.

“Seems like the experiment was not perfect after all.”

“You’re wrong. This is perfection! He does not need emotions.”

“…Take him to recover, I will report to the boss.”

I’m safe now!

Han Xiao could finally relax. He had come up with the idea of acting slow to lower their guard during the procedure.

Although I didn’t transmigrate to an ideal location, at least it’s not so bad time-wise.

The Valkyrie experiment was the prototype of a later supersoldier project that implemented microchips into test subjects in order to ensure loyalty.

Transmigrating to then would have been way worse. They would have been able to blow him up anytime.

At least Lady Luck is smiling upon me in one regard!

…

Hila made a call through an encrypted line.

“Boss, the situation has stabilized.”

“Is the brainwashing complete?”

The man’s voice was hoarse.

“I oversaw the procedure. There was no issue. What arrangements do you have for Zero?”

“The Valkyrie experiment’s aim is to train soldiers, so train him.”

“How is my sister doing?”

“Don’t forget the deal,” the man warned. “I gave you permission to visit her once every two months. Don’t cross the line.”

Hila clenched her fists.

…

The interior of the underground Valkyrie lab was almost entirely white. Guards constantly patrolled the grounds.

After a night’s rest, Han Xiao was brought to an isolated training field where Hila awaited.

While he was not too sure of what arrangements the organization had for him, he was certain that they would value his ‘learning ability’, meaning he would definitely get the chance to level up his Mechanic abilities.

It was virtually impossible to escape from such a tightly guarded fortress, so Han Xiao had steeled himself for the long haul.

“Zero, you will undergo daily combat and shooting practice from today onward.”

Hila tossed a suit to him.

“Put it on.”

Han Xiao quickly wore it.

As soon as he put the suit on, Hila attacked, launching a vicious kick at chest level.

Bang!

Too fast!

Han Xiao was unable to react, and the kick cracked his ribs through armour. He staggered back over a dozen paces and clutched onto his chest, coughing.

As expected of a superhuman.

Although she was obviously not going all out, she was still several times faster than an ordinary person.

“30 seconds of rest,” she stated blandly.

Combat training was tough, but straightforward. No words were exchanged between the pair.

They continued like this for two hours, by the end of which Han Xiao was completely exhausted and covered in bruises. He also now suspected that Hila had masochistic tendencies.

‘Are all ice queen types like this?’ he wondered.

_____________________

Hila (Lv. 30) has taught you [Basic Combat]

Progress Rate: 5%

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Hila left wordlessly.

A stout, burly man arrived to yank Han Xiao to the target practice field.

“I am your shooting trainer, and one of the vice-managers of this base, Baltar,” introduced the scary looking man with a hideous knife scar across his forehead.

He pushed a 73-WASP into Han Xiao’s hands and said, “There’s ten bullets, hit the bullseye with all of them.”

Han Xiao frowned. How could a beginner who had never touched a gun in real life before hit the bullseye‽ Moreover, the target was a moving dummy 30 metres away.

“I’m no Olympic champion!”

Han Xiao shrugged his shoulders and raised the gun with his aching arms.

Bang, bang, bang…!

After ten shots, Han Xiao took a look at the scoreboard. As expected, he had failed.

Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his back. It was only with great restraint that he did not scream out.

He turned around, only to see a frenzied Baltar licking blood off a black tactical knife.

“Continue. One miss, one cut. Let’s see how much blood you will lose today.”

Han Xiao moved a hand across his back, and it returned bloody.

“Bastard!” he cursed inwardly.

One of the glass panels in the room was a one-way mirror. Hila and Lin Wei Xian were observing from the other side.

“Baltar is being too careless with my precious test subject! Might as well let me dissect him now,” bemoaned Lin Wei Xian.

Hila cast a plain look at Lin Wei Xian and replied, “The organization will not approve of your request.”

Lin Wei Xian laughed coldly in response.

“I will have my way sooner or later. I created him! He is mine!”

Hila remained silent.

…

_____________________

Baltar (Lv 15) has taught you [Basic Shooting]

Progress Rate: 5%

[Agent] Profession Unlock Rate: 1%

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Han Xiao was cut again and again. The cuts themselves might not have been deep, but there were so many of them that his clothes were completely drenched in blood.

Baltar watch the weakened Han Xiao with a grin. He reveled in the smell of fresh blood.

“Why are you not screaming?” he asked. “A good toy screams.”

Damn bastard!

Han Xiao took a deep breath to compose himself. While he really felt like punching Baltar, he knew that he could not afford to act recklessly. It was similar in some sense to LoL – when you trash talk despite losing, you are only setting yourself up for a more spectacular fall.

For now, all he could do was suck it up.

‘Laugh while you can…’ Han Xiao gritted his teeth.

“Ha!” cried out Hila as her bullet-like fist connected onto Han Xiao’s chest.

Han Xiao endured the pain of the blow to grab Hila by her collar. With a mighty twist, he threw Hila over his shoulder.

However, it was ineffective. Hila effortlessly nullified the shoulder throw by performing a flip.

Han Xiao paused to rub his chest.

“Is that all that you are capable of?” Hila was visibly upset.

Han Xiao remained silent. He had expected the organization to have given up on him with what little progress he had shown, but for the past six months, Hila had dutifully trained with him every single day. For some reason, though, she was going especially hard on him today.

Although Hila was the commander of this base, she did not have much work to do. Training Han Xiao was actually one of the few things that she had to look forward to. When she had learnt of the boss’s intention to hand him to Lin Wei Xian, it had upset her.

Although they had never actually conversed before, it was 6 months of accompaniment regardless. A person could even develop feelings for an object if he or she spent that much time with it! Perhaps, due to having grown used to seeing Han Xiao everyday, Hila was a bit reluctant to hand him over.

“How many times has it been?” she wondered. “All those people… all those faces…”

The organization’s cruel methods had not only caused her to lose many of her friends—she had also lost her sister.

The reason she had pushed Han Xiao harder today was to try and stimulate him. She had hoped to be able to draw out any latent talent in him.

However, it had clearly been too much to ask for.

“The boss has approved of Lin Wei Xian’s request to dissect you…” She sighed.

Strictly speaking, this was the first time she had ever spoken of anything outside of training to Han Xiao.

Han Xiao’s eyes flashed.

Finally…

Although Han Xiao had been anticipating this from the moment he decided to lie low, he did not regret doing so—his background made it impossible for him to rise up through the ranks, which meant that he would only be able to continue on as a henchman. Either way, Han Xiao did not wish to work for the organization.

Suddenly, Han Xiao noticed a photograph on the ground. It seemed to have fallen out of Hila’s pocket during their fight. Han Xiao bent down to pick it up.

It was a group photo set in front of a vast, blue sea that was basking under a setting sun.

Two girls stood side by side in the center. One of them was Hila, who was smiling radiantly. The other girl had snow-white hair and seemed to resemble Hila somewhat. She looked both clever and gentle.

Hila’s face changed upon realizing that she had dropped the photo. She immediately bent down to snatch for it. When she saw that it was undamaged, she let out a sigh of relief. As she pocketed it, she took a final, probing look at Han Xiao before turning around to leave.

The interface suddenly lit up with a message.

_____________________

You have initiated a D-Class Quest:

[Night Owl Plans]

Accept / Decline

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Han Xiao’s eyes lit up. My first mission in six months‽

Accept!

_____________________

Quest Synopsis:

The dark and blood-stained advent of the Germinal Organization has always been a great mystery to the Six Nations of Planet Aquamarine. Hila has a secret past that no one knows about. Where do her loyalties truly lie? You now hold one of the clues to this mystery. Will you seek to uncover the truth?

(You may choose to pass this clue on to someone else for a small reward.)

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The quest had obviously been initiated by the photo.

Han Xiao knew who the white-haired girl was. She was none other than Hila’s younger sister, Aurora.

While the sisters both possessed supernatural powers, their powers were of two extremes.

Aurora’s blood possessed mysterious healing properties that could extend life or even bring back the dead. She had been brainwashed, and was now being controlled by the Germinal. Not only were they taking advantage of her powers, they were also using her as leverage to make Hila do their bidding.

Hila only cared for one person, and that was Aurora.

The war between the six countries and the Germinal Organization reached a climax at the conclusion of Version 1.0.

As a last resort, the Germinal Organization used Aurora’s flesh and blood to create an endless supply of miracle drugs that won them the war. Hila, who had been at the front lines at the time, only learnt of what had happened a few months later.

Losing her sister tore her apart, and the Germinal Organization took advantage of her moment of weakness to capture and imprison her.

After her escape, she became cold-blooded and ruthless, going so far as to sacrifice countless of lives in order to awaken her latent powers.

She turned to the dark side and stopped at nothing to gain power, eventually coming to be known as the ‘Goddess of Death’ whose very name spread fear throughout the Shattered Belt.

Although the present Hila was cold, compared to the future Goddess of Death who wielded the power to wipe out entire civilizations, she was a billion times nicer.

If he had the chance, Han Xiao would definitely do his best to alter her tragic fate – not out of pity, but to prevent her from destroying his fleet of spaceships. However, he was still far too weak to do anything. Escaping the base was his primary goal.

Han Xiao knew from Hila’s routine the past six months that she would leave the lab in two days.

That would be the perfect chance.

Han Xiao returned to the tuning room and summoned the interface. He currently possessed two sub-classes, and one main class: Civilian, Agent, and Mechanic (Novice).

Of the five main classes, Mechanics were weaker in the early stages of the game. They were also more intended to be a support class early on. In Version 3.0, however, they would receive new talents that greatly buffed their combat capabilities to become one of the more popular classes.

In the later stages of the game, a high-level Mechanic was akin to an entire galactic fleet.

Mechanics were well known for having many skills. Each blueprint itself could be seen as a skill, and since there were thousands of blueprints of machines, Mechanics could be played in any number of ways. The slew of skills at their disposal made them adept at all sorts of tactics and warfare.

Nevertheless, they had a glaring weakness—they needed more experience than other classes to level up.

Han Xiao contemplated for a moment before dumping all the experience he could into [Mechanic], initiating a leveling frenzy.

_____________________

Engineer (Novice) has been raised to Lv. 3

+ 10 Energy, + 1 Intelligence, + 1 Endurance

+ 2 unassigned stat points

+ 1 talent point

…

Engineer (Novice) has been raised to Lv. 10 (max)

+ 30 Energy, + 1 Intelligence, + 1 Endurance

+ 2 unassigned stat points

+ 1 talent point

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It took 130,000 experience to level Lv. 2 Mechanic (Novice) to Lv. 10. As a result, Han Xiao gained 8 Endurance, 8 Intelligence, 100 Energy, 16 stat points, 8 talent points, and was now Lv. 12.

It was usually more cost-effective to raise the level of the main class first as it gave more Energy.

As Han Xiao did not meet the requirement for class advancement yet, he could not level [Mechanic] up any further.

Most classes had a starting level cap of Lv. 10 that could only be exceeded after performing an advancement.

Han Xiao continued to use 80,000 experience to level up [Agent] to Lv. 9. He gained +12 Strength, +9 Dexterity, +3 Charm, 9 talent points, and 9 points of unassigned stats from this, and hit Lv. 20.

While a character could have any number of classes, Lv. 20 was the maximum character level before completing the special advancement mission. In the game, the maximum level was usually raised every major update. In Version 1.0, it was Lv. 60.

Galaxy had hundreds of classes and this gave players unlimited combinations to play around with. It made it common for a character to have individualized skill-sets. As there was no fixed strategy in particular, each and every character could be skilled uniquely. This was one of the game’s strong points.

Han Xiao discovered an anomaly! His interface did not display a maximum level! This could mean that he was allowed to exceed the limits of a regular character!

The gameplay of Version 1.0 and Version 2.0 was mostly based around the beginner planets. Although the stronger civilizations in the universe were already implemented from the start, players were unable to interact with them. Han Xiao wondered if his NPC status would have any impact on this.

_____________________

Lv. 20 Advancement Mission:

Learn an advanced Mechanic skill.

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As one of the requirements to learning an advanced Mechanic skill was to gain advanced knowledge, Han Xiao had no way to proceed with the advancement.

He used another 150,000 experience to raise [Basic Assembly] and [Basic Enhancement] to their Lv. 10 each, thereby gaining two talent points.

He then used 10,000 experience to raise the level of his [Machinery Affinity (Novice)] to Lv. 3.

After some calculations, Han Xiao proceeded to use 60,000 experience to reach Lv. 6 in both [Basic Combat] and [Basic Shooting], and this unlocked [Grappling] and [Precise Aim].

He intended to use the remaining 170,000 experience to do some ‘blueprint gambling’.

Blueprints were an important feature of the Mechanic class. The first method of obtaining them would be through leveling talents.

The second method would be through completing missions—some missions rewarded blueprints.

The third way through perform reverse engineering, done by disassembling machinery. However, on top of certain conditions and requirements, this method expended experience points.

The fourth way—and the most important one—was through combining talents. This method also expended experience points.

As there were 60 talents, and the same type of combination could yield different kinds of blueprints, the possibilities were endless. Some blueprints even had hidden prerequisites, making it hard to determine exactly how many blueprints could be derived from a certain combination.

The experience needed to perform talent combination also increased with each attempt, and if the player received the same blueprint again, the experience expended would not be compensated. This it is why talent combination was widely known as ‘blueprint gambling’.

As useful as it was, it did consume a lot of experience.

Back to before he had transmigrated, players had discovered and researched thousands of combinations, and Han Xiao was familiar with many of them! As a Mechanic, he would be able to overcome the early weaknesses of the class as there were a few rare blueprints of godly equipment that could be crafted by a Novice Engineer!

Besides the four methods of obtaining blueprints above, there was also a lesser used method known as ‘free creation’, where players were allowed to freely create machines that they conceptualized. However, this method had an abysmal success rate.

The success rate of free creation depends on various factors such as the viability of the concept itself, the quality of the materials, the character’s level in knowledge, certain abilities, tools used, and so on. Before Han Xiao transmigrated, players still had not managed to figure out the exact science behind it. It was simply too hard to succeed at this method, causing it to be largely viewed as a waste of time and effort.

As Han Xiao had gained 19 talent points from leveling his classes, and 2 points from maxing two of his skills, he now had a total of 21 talent points.

Han Xiao proceeded to pick out two books from the shelf before summoning the interface.

_____________________

Use 1 talent point to unlock the Weaponry branch talent: [Basic Mechanical Engineering]. Y/N

Use 1 talent point to unlock the Weaponry branch talent: [Basic Bio-engineering]. Y/N

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Confirm!

A large amount of information related to these two talents began to be transmitted into Han Xiao’s brain, causing him some discomfort. This continued for ten minutes.

When he was done, he used another two talent points to raise them to Lv. 2, increasing his degree of comprehension for them.

“Combining these two Lv. 2 talents can yield 6 types of blueprints. Each combination will double the required experience for the next. The first combination requires 10,000 experience, so 170,000 experience will allow me to combine 4 times. I must get that blueprint in four tries!”

Han Xiao’s nervously proceeded to combine [Lv. 2 Basic Mechanical Engineering] and [Lv. 2 Basic Bio-engineering].

_____________________

Proceed with talent combination of [Lv. 2 Basic Mechanical Engineering] and [Lv. 2 Basic Bio-engineering]?

10,000 experience will be used.

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Yes!

Han Xiao’s vision whirled momentarily as a new blueprint appeared before him.

_____________________

Success! Congratulations on discovering [Sky Swallow Gliders]!

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Not this one! Han Xiao clenched his fists. Continue!

_____________________

… 20,000 experience will be used.

Success! Congratulations on discovering [Bionic Limb]!

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Damn it! This is the worst one!

Again!

_____________________

… 40,000 experience will be used.

Success! Congratulations on discovering [Lightweight Mechanical Arm]!

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This is it!

Han Xiao slammed the table excitedly.

Haha! Lightweight Mechanical Arm… This is what I was hoping for!

Half a year of hard work almost went down the drain.

_____________________

Name: Han Xiao

Race: Human/Carbon-based (Yellow)

Model: NPC (countdown to Version 1.0 launch: 182 days 8 hours 23 minutes)

Level: 20 (Can proceed with advancement)

Main Class: Engineer (Novice) – Lv. 10/10 (Can proceed with advancement)

Sub-classes:

Civilian – Lv. 1

Agent – Lv. 9 (0/25000)

Health: 320/320

Stamina: 434/434

Attributes: 21 Strength, 17 Dexterity, 22 Endurance, 15 Intelligence, 1 MYS, 5 Charisma, 1 Luck

Unassigned Stats: 27

Energy: 120 [Lv. 3]

Lv. 1 (10) – [Strength +1, Dexterity + 1, Endurance + 1, MAX STAMINA + 20]

Lv. 2 (50) – [Strength +3, Dexterity + 2, Endurance + 3, MAX STAMINA + 50]

Lv. 3 (100) – [Strength +3, Dexterity + 3, Endurance + 5, MAX STAMINA + 100]

Energy Rank: 48-55

Grade: F (Mortal)

[To the weakest superhuman… you are a slightly huge ant!]

Abilities:

– Concentration: + 10% to mastery and crafting speeds

– Lesser Willpower: + 3 Focus

– Grinder: + 100 Health

Skills:

[Mechanic]

Novice Mechanic Affinity – Lv. 3

Basic Maintenance – Lv. 10 (max)

Basic Enhancement – Lv. 10 (max)

Blueprint: Cloud Sparrow Glider – Lv. 1 (0/5000)

Blueprint: Bionic Limb – Lv. 1 (0/2000)

Blueprint: Lightweight Mechanical Arm – Lv. 1 (0/10000)

[Agent]

Basic Combat – Lv. 6 (0/16000) – +6% Damage when unarmed

Basic Shooting – Lv. 6 (0/16000) – +6% Accuracy

Grappling – Lv. 1 (0/3000) – +3% Parry, +2% Damage when unarmed

Precise Aim – Lv. 1 (0/3000) – +3% Accuracy, +2% Ranged Damage

Talent Points: 17

Class Talents:

Arms

Basic Assembly Lv. 1 (0/1)

Basic Mechanical Engineering Lv. 2 (0/1)

Basic Bio-engineering Lv. 2 (0/1)

(17 talents not learnt)

Energy

[20 talents not learnt]

Control

[20 talents not learnt]

Influence: 0

Legend: 0

Equipment: None

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In one shot, Han Xiao was able to reach Lv. 20 and significantly boost his combat ability.

He spent 5 of his 27 unassigned stat points to raise his Intelligence to 20, fulfilling the prerequisite to craft the Lightweight Mechanical Arm.

Now, he had one thing left to do: suit up!

Han Xiao grinned as he looked at the spare parts scattered all across the floor.

I will show you what ‘raising a tiger’s cub’ means!

The Valkyrie Lab was hidden underneath an abandoned farm situated within an extremely large forest. The farm itself was enclosed by a tall electrical fence.

A Black Harrier helicopter descended on the abandoned farm. Six fully equipped agents dressed in black emerged from the aircraft.

“I am the captain of Night Owl Squad 3, Silver Blade. I’ve come under orders to transport the Valkyrie Squad,” introduced the stony-faced captain.

“Stop wasting my time,” replied an irritated Hila as she fixed her tousled hair. “There are vehicles in the hangar. I’ll take the helicopter.”

No. 1, who had been chosen to lead the Valkyrie squad, stepped forward.

“Test subject No. 1 greets officer!”

“Follow us.”

“Yes sir!”

As Hila hopped on the helicopter, she frowned.

“Strange… It feels like I’ve forgotten something…”

…

Machinery tuning room.

Han Xiao was almost done with crafting the Lightweight Mecha Arm. It had proven harder to craft than expected. In the game, blueprint crafting was guided—the player simply needed to input the materials and follow a few simplified steps. Now, however, Han Xiao had to do everything manually. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing though, as it did give him the freedom to make small modifications.

Although the organization had taken away most of Han Xiao resources, there was still enough left for him to work with. He had primarily used manganese, a tough alloy well suited for making weapons and armour.

While the design of the Lightweight Mecha Arm was very basic, it would have to suffice.

Han Xiao put down the wrench in his hand. The Lightweight Mecha Arm was now complete.

_____________________

Lightweight Mecha Arm (Left)

Quality: Average

Basic Stats

– Damage: 35~58

– Defense: 13~17

– Power Level: 38

– Durability: 270/270

Equip Requirement: 25 Strength

Stat Bonus: -3 Speed

Length: 0.51 m

Weight: 14.7 kg

Additional Bonus: +10 Strength

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Han Xiao gained 3000 experience points from crafting the arm. Crafting generally rewarded more experience than assembly or enhancement.

Han Xiao currently had 21 Strength, so he needed to spend another 4 stat points to equip the mecha arm.

After crafting the mecha arm, Han Xiao crafted a 73-WASP and enhanced it to 38-47 damage. He also forged a 10 damage carbide tactical knife.

He hid the Lightweight Mecha Arm and the enhanced 73-WASP before heading out to the canteen.

The canteen was like a recreation room of sorts for the staff in the facility. They would come here to relax and while away the time. Han Xiao had learnt a lot of information from eavesdropping on their conversations.

A groups of guards were chatting nosily.

“I want to go outside too! Being confined for so long is getting on my nerves.”

“Well, Hila’s an officer. Her status is much higher than ours.”

“Man, I’d do anything to spend a night with her.”

“Hey, watch your mouth. Do you know why she’s an officer?”

“Because… she’s a superhuman?”

“Of course she is!”

Han Xiao rejoiced at the confirmation of Hila’s absence.

“Looks like today is the day,” he murmured to himself.

Han Xiao got up and headed to basement 3. His target was the surveillance room.

There were two guards stationed outside the surveillance room. Before entering the corridor, Han Xiao slapped a piece of half-chewed bread onto the surveillance camera.

He had learnt that the guards did not take their shifts seriously, and true enough, nothing happened even after a while.

After composing himself, Han Xiao entered the corridor and approached the two guards.

“No unauthorized personnel,” warned the first guard.

“It’s Zero. Just shoo him away,” laughed the second.

The first guard nodded. He was about to push Han Xiao away when, suddenly, Han Xiao grabbed hold of his wrist and stabbed the second guard in the chin with a knife. The knife pierced all the way into the guard’s brain.

Han Xiao then immediately maneuvered around the first guard to perform a chokehold on him.

Crack!

Han Xiao had dispatched of both guards in an instant!

_____________________

You have dealt a fatal blow!

You have dealt a fatal blow!

“-162”

“-171”

You have killed a Guard of the Germinal Organization, gaining 360 experience!

You have killed a Guard of the Germinal Organization, gaining 360 experience!

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Han Xiao carefully placed the guard on the ground before checking their stats.

_____________________

Lv. 7 Agent

10 Strength, 15 Endurance

150 Health

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_____________________

You have acquired 4 bullets.

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Han Xiao re-equipped the dagger before slowly pushing the door open.

A jaw-dropping sight greeted him.

Two guards were pressed together in an extremely compromising position. The sound of the door opening had startled them, and they were staring at Han Xiao in horror.

Spicy.

Well, this is awkward. Should I just pretend like nothing happened and step out?wondered Han Xiao.

Han Xiao did not have anything in particular against any group of people. He respected people’s hobbies and interests. These two men before him were simply two lonely hearts who had had no way of releasing their pent-up frustrations. Over time, their common bond developed into something special…

It’s not your fault! It’s Tokiomi’s ¹ —I mean—it’s just how things ended up!

Although Han Xiao’s mind was dulled with such thoughts, his body was quick to act. Reversing his grip on his knife, he rushed forward to attack the closer guard.

The guard was unable to react in time, and as he fumbled to draw his gun, Han Xiao went in for the kill.

Unfortunately, the second guard kicked him to safety.

Han Xiao’s surprise attack had failed, but he was not disheartened. Twirling the knife in his hand, he switched back to a standard grip and stabbed the second guard in his abdomen, followed by striking his neck with his free hand. The guard collapsed to the ground.

_____________________

Overwhelming Force!

You have 25 Strength. The target has 10 Strength.

As you have over twice as much Strength as the target, your attack dealt 50% more damage!

The target has lost consciousness.

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One down!

The other guard who had been kicked to safety rolled further away to create some space between him and Han Xiao before raising his gun to fire.

Han Xiao immediately tackled him down and slammed his hand against the floor, causing him to release the gun in pain.

It would have been disastrous for Han Xiao if he had managed to fire.

Han Xiao proceeded to head-butt the guard on his nose, disorienting him, and circled around to strangle him from behind.

Rear naked chokehold!

The guard’s face turned purple as he struggled to break free.

_____________________

You have performed a [Submission].

You have 25 Strength. Your target has 11 Strength.

Your target is unable to break free.

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The guard struggled for a few more seconds before fainting.

“That was close… It would have been easier if I were a Pugilist,” panted Han Xiao as he got up.

The Pugilist class was the most popular class in Galaxy for the simple reason that it was the coolest looking class. Their skills had the coolest names, such as ‘Inferno Quake’, ‘Devil’s Beam’, or ‘Star Breaker’. Of course, many skills were not actually as powerful as their names suggested, but the point is that they sounded cool!

Shouting out the skill’s name as you used it also always seemed to make it stronger. Although most players weren’t thick skinned enough to do so, Han Xiao enjoyed it.

Pugilists were also a much simpler class to play – basically, just keep on hitting the enemy. Compared to the most demanding class to play, the Mechanic, the difference was night and day.

Han Xiao used his knife to finish the two unconscious guards. He looted four magazines of bullets from them.

He then moved the bodies of the other two guards into the room, cleaned up the bloodstains in the corridor, and smashed up all the security monitors. After confirming that he had not missed anything, Han Xiao emerged from the room with his usual blank expression on once more.

Eliminating the surveillance room was important to Han Xiao’s escape – it allowed him to move freely.

Han Xiao returned to the second floor where a guard suddenly stopped him.

“Mr. Lin Wei Xian wants to see you.”

Han Xiao’s eyes flashed.

Lin Wei Xian was one of the few people in the base who possessed a security pass that could access the main gate. He was saving Han Xiao the trouble of looking for him.

Han Xiao followed the guard to Lin Wei Xian’s private laboratory. It was a dimly lit room. The walls were lined with shelves of specimen jars filled with organs – almost like the private collection of a homicidal murderer.

“The organization has finally let me have you. If I dissect you, I will be able to find out the difference between you and the other test subjects. After extracting all the valuable information your body has to offer, I will preserve your corpse as a specimen. You will be fondly remembered as the first test subject.”

Han Xiao remained silent in the dark.

“You there, secure him tightly and don’t let him struggle. It’ll ruin my experiment,” ordered Lin Wei Xian.

He then proceeded to turn around to retrieve his toolbox of oddly-shaped surgical knifes and scalpels. Before Han Xiao, how many had fallen prey to them?

Suddenly, Lin Wei Xian heard a dull thud from behind. He turned around, only to discover that Han Xiao was standing right behind him.

Before he could react, Lin Wei Xian felt a pain in his chest. Looking down blankly, he saw that a knife was stabbed directly into his heart.

His eyes widened with shock as he dropped the surgical knife he was holding

He could see the motionless guard lying on the floor behind Han Xiao, as well as the coldness in Han Xiao’s eyes.

Right! This room is under surveillance!

Han Xiao seemed to have read his mind. “Give up. I’ve already cleaned the surveillance room.”

That tone… is this really that dim-witted Zero?

Lin Wei Xian shuddered as the color in his face drained quickly.

“Half… half a year… you’ve been faking it all along?”

Han Xiao nodded.

“How is that possible… You’ve fooled everyone!” Lin Wei Xian wondered aloud, incredulous.

“Nothing is impossible in this world.” Han Xiao twisted the knife viciously.

Lin Wei Xian crumpled to the ground, wide-eyed in indignation and terror.

“I… am your… creator…”

Han Xiao changed into the guard’s uniform before leaving Lin Wei Xian’s laboratory.

It was likely that people knew he had been taken to Lin Wei Xian, so a disguise was necessary. There were usually four people in the base that he had to watch out for – Hila, No. 1, Lin Wei Xian, and Baltar. As Hila was not in, No. 1 had left, and Lin Wei Xian was a non-factor now, Han Xiao’s escape would proceed smoothly as long as he did not encounter Baltar.

The main gate to the base was a reinforced steel door almost one metre thick. Even if Han Xiao used all the explosives in the armory, it would still not be enough to blast it open. The only way to escape would be through unlocking it, and only three people possessed the security pass to do so. One of them was none other than Lin Wei Xian, and, naturally, Han Xiao had already acquired his pass.

However, as the main gate was heavily manned, and everyone knew exactly who possessed a pass, escaping was not that straightforward.

If Han Xiao so much as appeared at the main gate, he would be surrounded by heavy fire in mere seconds. One bullet would do only 10 damage to him, but add them all up and he would be lucky to last for even a second.

Mm, not a bad way to go, he thought, but I think I’ll come up with a better idea.

Han Xiao’s plan was to cripple their communications in order to gain a few hours of time. This was the safest option. Currently, he was heading back to the tuning room to retrieve the mecha arm first.

As the tuning room came into sight, Han Xiao was suddenly pushed from the side. To his horror, the person who had pushed him was none other than Baltar.

Why am I so unlucky‽ he groaned inwardly.

“Which squad are you from?” questioned Baltar. “Why have I never seen you before?”

Han Xiao lowered his head and pushed his cap down.

“I’m new here. I’m from squad B.”

“Why was I not informed of new guards? Hold on, your voice sounds familiar. Raise your head and show me your face.”

Han Xiao noticed that Baltar was slowly reaching for his handgun. Three guards nearby had also sensed that something was amiss.

What should I do now?

If Han Xiao were exposed now, Baltar would definitely send guards to look for Lin Wei Xian. That would be disastrous.

“This is a problem… I didn’t want to have to resort to plan B…” muttered Han Xiao.

“What did you say?”

Suddenly, Han Xiao raised his head to reveal his face to Baltar.

“I’ve always wanted to tell you this: go see a shrink, psycho!”

“Zero‽”

Han Xiao took advantage of his confusion and thrust his knife into Baltar’s chest.

Unfortunately, Baltar dodged on reflex, and Han Xiao’s knife only grazed his chin.

“Fire!”

The three guards hastily reached out to draw their guns. Unfortunately, they were too close to Han Xiao, and Han Xiao managed to close in on them before they could fire. He sent a fist smashing into the nearest guard’s face.

-48!

The punch sent the guard flying backwards into his comrades.

Han Xiao gritted his teeth as he turned around to make a dash for the tuning room.

Baltar’s face darkened as he felt his chin. As he gave chase, he shouted into the transmitter on his collar, “All agents, listen up! Come to the tuning room on the second floor at once! Test subject Zero has gone rogue!”

All the guards who heard the news were stunned.

“Zero? Gone rogue? Are you sure‽”

“Wasn’t he brainwashed?”

“Is this a drill?”

“Are you dumb? Didn’t you hear the gunshots‽”

Han Xiao became strangely calm under the assault of Baltar’s gunfire. As his brain began to process all the variables and data in his surroundings, the world before him astonishingly changed. Han Xiao’s surroundings began to be reduced to 3D lines, as though his mind were filtering out all the clutter – making everything look clear to him. Somehow, he had entered a state of mind in which all his brain’s functions were heightened.

“2.0 seconds to reach the tuning room. 3.7 seconds for Baltar to catch up. The three guards will not pose any threat for another 4.2 seconds. Roughly 30.0 seconds before reinforcements arrive…”

Han Xiao had been through countless battles before. Although they were all from his time in the game, it was still experience. And it was precisely experience that enabled him to tap into this special state.

He started to run in an irregular pattern to dodge the bullets.

“Interesting. The toy wants to resist,” mused a frenzied Baltar. “You asked for it!”

Baltar was an elite agent with over 20 years of experience. No matter how terrifying Han Xiao’s learning capability was, he had essentially trained for only 6 months. To him, the outcome was already decided.

As soon as Han Xiao neared the tuning room, he jumped inside and locked the door.

Baltar burst out in maniacal laughter as he paused to reload his gun.

“Hiding in a room? You have sealed your fate!”

Suddenly, the door was blasted into smithereens by what appeared to be a gigantic mecha arm that appeared out of nowhere. It followed through to smash into Baltar’s chest.

-95!

Baltar was sent flying into the wall. 4 or 5 of his ribs were broken by the force of the impact. As he got up, he coughed a mouthful of blood and looked at the newly emerged Han Xiao in disbelief.

“What the hell is that‽” Baltar stared in shock at the gigantic mecha arm that was enshrouded by the black smoke it was pumping out.

The three guards raised their guns to fire, but Han Xiao was a step quicker. With his right hand, he drew his enhanced 73-WASP and fired two consecutive shots.

With the accuracy bonus provided from his skills and Dexterity, Han Xiao’s current shooting abilities were extremely frightening. Each bullet hit either guard squarely in the throat.

The third guard opened fire, but Han Xiao simply raised the mecha arm.

Clank!

The bullet deflected.

_____________________

Lightweight Mechanical Arm (Left) has lost 8 durability.

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Han Xiao fired another shot.

The guard collapsed to his knees with an expression of disbelief.

The corridor quietened down. Han Xiao and Baltar faced each other off.

“The nearest guard will take another thirty seconds to arrive,” calculated Han Xiao.

Han Xiao flexed his mecha arm tauntingly.

“I really feel like crushing your throat with my bare hands to thank you for all four hundred and twenty cuts.”

Baltor furiously spat out some blood and laughed coldly as he unsheathed a dagger that had been concealed within his boots.

“That was quite a punch, but don’t think that you can defeat me with a piece of junk like that!”

“We’ll see.”

“I can kill you ten times in thirty seconds!” howled Baltar as he suddenly pounced forward.

Han Xiao charged forward to meet him.

Sparks flew as Baltar’s knife clashed with Han Xiao’s mecha arm.

In the moment that they passed each other, Baltar bent down and aimed a kick at Han Xiao’s knee with his foot. To trip the enemy from behind was an extremely effective tactic that Han Xiao had learnt from Hila, and, unfortunately for Baltar, Han Xiao had anticipated the move. Seemingly with superhuman reflexes, Han Xiao swung the entire mecha arm back to smash into Baltar’s foot.

Baltar’s foot was fractured by the blow. He crumpled to the gruond.

-87!

The Mechanical Arm had a power level of 38. Added onto Han Xiao’s own power level, the might of blow was already at the level of an E-grade Superhuman. It had essentially doubled Han Xiao’s damage.

Han Xiao estimated Baltar to have a max HP of 300. Coupled with that destructive blow from earlier on, Han Xiao knew that he was probably at half health already.

Baltar was indeed extremely weakened. However, he endured the pain and continued to attack. Unfortunately, his actions had grown dull, and Han Xiao easily caught his arm.

“Impossible… How could I… You…”

Baltar howled indignantly as he struggled to break free from the grip of the mecha arm.

Suddenly, the world before him darkened as Han Xiao wrapped the mecha arm around his head and slammed him into the wall.

Splat!

Baltar was no more.

Han Xiao dragged the already unrecognizable Baltar against the wall.

“Sorry, I lied. I didn’t crush your throat. Why don’t you get up so I can do it properly?”

Baltar did not reply, not that he could.

_____________________

You have killed Baltar, Vice-commander of the Valkyrie Lab, gaining 1,500 experience!

Team A and Team B arrived at the gruesome scene on the second floor.

“Vice-commander Baltar has been killed‽”

“What exactly happened here?”

“Where’s the enemy?”

“Why is the surveillance room not responding‽”

“Inform Professor Lin Wei Xian immediately!”

“Team C has discovered Professor Lin Wei Xian’s body!”

“Oh my god…”

All the guards gasped in fear. Was all of this really done by Zero alone? All the commanders were either out or dead, and they realized that there was no one left to give them orders.

“Wasn’t he brainwashed already‽ Has he been planning this from the very start?”

The thought of it sent chills down their spines; Han Xiao could have taken their lives anytime he wanted!

“Don’t panic. There’s only one enemy. Proceed with a sweep of the facility. Fire at will. Team A will head to the armory, Team B, check out the surveillance room. Team C, go protect the laboratory. Team D, fortify the main gate. If Zero wants to escape he’ll have to go there. Now, go!”

The Team A leader rose up to the occasion to give the orders.

There were a total of sixty guards in the base grouped into four teams. Usually, they were scattered, but this was an emergency.

Unfortunately, Han Xiao was reading them like a book.

Bang!

A loud crash came from above, and the entire facility started to tremble.

“What’s going on‽” asked the panicked Team A leader through his intercom.

The sound of gunfire intermixed with panicked yelling could be heard from the other end.

“Team C has encountered the enemy in the lab. I repeat, Team C has encountered the enemy in the lab. Damn it! Zero set the lab on fire with a grenade!”

“Where did he get the grenade from‽”

The Team A leader was both enraged and horrified. His team had been standing guard outside the armory, but they had seen no one the entire time.

“Send reinforcements quickly! Which team is nearest?”

“Team B is also at basement 3. The surveillance room has been wiped. We’re coming over right now!”

…

In Basement 3, Han Xiao was hiding behind a corner near the laboratory while the fire raged within. He had used three hand grenades to set the lab on fire. Presently, there were a dozen guards from Team C that had suspected his presence and were advancing on him.

After his battle with Baltar, Han Xiao had not headed for the main gate immediately. Instead, he had gone back down to basement 3, predicting that the guards would conduct a sweep of the facility from the top.

Since it was no longer possible to sneak out as he had planned, Han Xiao had to change his tactics. Here in the laboratory at basement 3 was where all the Valkyrie data was stored, making it one of the key areas of the entire facility. He knew that setting it ablaze would cause the enemy to panic.

I still have 77 bullets and 5 custom grenades.

Han Xiao reevaluated his inventory before peeking out from the corner for just an instant. Bullets were fired almost instantly.

Twelve guards. Three N9 submachine guns, Nine 73-WASP handguns. I’m outclassed in firepower.

Han Xiao’s mind raced. It had been a minute since he set the laboratory on fire. Team B would arrive within three minutes, so he did not have much time left. Han Xiao knew all of this because he had been eavesdropping on a stolen intercom.

Everything had happened so suddenly that the guards did not stop to consider this possibility.

Han Xiao tossed out a grenade, causing the Team C guards to frantically jump for cover.

Bang!

Han Xiao used the smoke of the blast to sneak up onto the nearest guard. He gave him a mecha punch in the stomach, crippling him.

“Shoot! Quickly! Shoot!”

The other guards resumed shooting. Han Xiao yanked the poor guard up to use as a shield, and while this did not stop them from shooting, Han Xiao was able to close the distance, and he swiftly dispatched of another three guards.

The remaining Team C guards scattered further back to pull apart from him. Han Xiao rolled and ducked as he closed in on them. The mecha arm’s durability plummeted as bullets rained upon it. As Han Xiao evaded, he pulled out his handgun to return fire and scored three more kills.

Suddenly, Han Xiao grimaced.

_____________________

You have been shot in your right arm by a 73-WASP! 17 damage taken!

You have been inflicted with a gun wound! You are now bleeding (light), and will lose 1 HP every second for 15 seconds. Quickly bandage your wound!

You have been shot in your left leg by an N9-SMG! 21 damage taken!

You have been inflicted with a gun wound! You are now bleeding (light), and will lose 1 HP every second for 15 seconds. Quickly bandage your wound!

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If not for Baltar’s ‘training’, he would definitely not be able to endure the pain.

Han Xiao grit his teeth and threw out another grenade.

Bang!

The blast of the grenade caused Han Xiao’s ears to ring in pain. He growled it off and proceeded with his onslaught.

One minute later, Team C no longer existed. Han Xiao proceeded to bandage his wounds. He had lost 110 HP – more than a third of his max HP.

“A head-on assault is too costly. If only I had active skills…”

“Team C, Team C, please respond. What’s the situation?” asked a guard over the intercom.

Han Xiao pinched his throat and replied, “Cough, cough. Team C has suffered heavy losses. We have trapped the target inside the lab. The target has been shot. Please send reinforcements quickly!”

He then picked a submachine gun on the floor and casually sprayed it to create the illusion of a fierce battle.

“Roger that. Please hold on. Team B is on the way!”

The guard did not doubt him at all. As Han Xiao’s silent act was deeply ingrained in their minds, the idea that he could employ such tactics simply did not occur to them.

Han Xiao proceeded to tie his three remaining hand grenades together and hung them on the door of the laboratory. He then hid behind a desk and loaded three submachine guns before firing his handgun multiple times to create the illusion of a crossfire.

Footsteps approached and the door was kicked opened.

Kaboom!

As soon as the guards began to scream, Han Xiao rushed forward under the cover of the smoke and stuck two SMGs out of the door to open fire onto either side. Although vision was limited, Han Xiao could hear his shots landing, and when he had emptied his clip, the guards were no longer making any sound.

The standard tactic to attack a room was for one person to kick the door while the others hid on either side. As the guards in the base were not an elite squad, Han Xiao had known that they would employ this tactic. Although most of Team B had been lucky to survive the first round of grenades, they were unable to hide from the ensuing storm of bullets.

His interface lit up like crazy.

When the smoke cleared, Han Xiao saw that three guards remained. When they saw Han Xiao emerge from the room, their eyes grew wide with shock and fear.

Is this really that dim-witted Zero‽

Han Xiao fired three consecutive shots to finish them off.

“What was that explosion? What’s going on‽” Team A’s leader shouted through the intercom.

Han Xiao randomly picked up several scattered guns and fired them around casually.

“Team B is under ambush! We are engaged with the enemy in the experiment lab. Requesting assistance! Requesting assistance!”

“Team A is coming right now!” Something seemed off about the entire situation to him, but he could not figure out what.

It was only when they reached basement 3 did the Team A leader finally realize what was bothering him, and he hurriedly ordered, “All guards, listen up. Zero might have infiltrated our comms. From now on, only take orders from me!”

It suddenly became apparent that Zero could be baiting them. After all, they hadn’t heard of any other Team B member speaking since then.

An unbelievable notion occurred to the Team A leader; did Zero already wipe out both Team B and Team C?

The notion caused him to shiver.

If that was what had happened, it would mean that Zero had wiped out over half of the entire base’s guards alone! Although he was unwilling to believe the idea, everything pointed to the fact that it indeed what had happened!

Was Zero baiting them? Or was he trying to divide them while he made a run for the main gate?

“Team D, any abnormalities at the main gate?” he asked through the intercom.

“None yet.”

The Team A leader sighed a breath of relief. He couldn’t let Zero play them for a fool any longer. The situation at present was already extremely bad. He knew that hoping to kill Zero now was no longer realistic, and that he had to inform Hila ASAP.

“Team A, listen up. Return to the main gate right now!”

He decided it would be better to gather all the remaining people to fortify the main gate. There, they could simply wait for reinforcements. This was the plan that appeared safest and surest to him.

No matter what Zero’s aim was, his fate would be sealed as long as he had nowhere to run!

Team A retraced their steps to join up with Team D at the main gate.

“Teams B and C have most likely been eliminated. I’m going to call for reinforcements. Guard the exit.”

The Team A leader glanced at the present members.

There were 31 of them. With 31 guns directed at the corridor, the second Zero appeared he would be torn to shreds.

However, he suddenly realized that something was off… Hold on a second, shouldn’t there only be 30 of us?

Beep beep!

The security panel flashed green as the gates suddenly opened.

As the guards turned back to look, their jaws dropped. There was a man who was wearing the same uniform as them at the gate. The man began to whistle as he pushed his cap up with a finger to reveal his face. It was none other than Han Xiao.

“Bye bye.” He waved before abruptly pulling the manual lever and rolling out as the gate clamped down.

The guards continued staring at the gate in disbelief.

The veins on Team A’s leader’s temples bulged.

“When did Zero blend in with us‽”

On the other side, Han Xiao rejoiced.

I’ve finally escaped!

Han Xiao stretched as he basked in the sunlight. The sight of the clear sky seemed to evaporate all his worries. It was roughly 4 or 5 in the afternoon, and Han Xiao could discern the silhouettes of several moons in the sky. Some of them were even close enough for their craters to be observed!

Han Xiao took a deep breath. The crisp air was reinvigorating.

Since the start, Han Xiao had never planned on taking all the guards head-on. Even though the guards had already been weakened, it might not even matter if he were able to kill them all since they could put the entire facility in lockdown at any point!

Then, his expression would not be that much different from the guards on the other side of the gate.

After impersonating a Team B member to bait out Team A, Han Xiao had searched around for a relatively clean set of uniform to change into before concealing himself underneath the stairway.

The guards had failed to notice him joining their ranks as they had been panicking.

As such, Han Xiao was safely ‘escorted’ to the entrance where, while they let their guard down, he had crept towards the gate, and the rest is now history.

It had been a huge gamble. If anything had gone awry, he would have been torn to shreds by dozens of guns. Han Xiao would rather not have had to rely on this risky plan. However, Baltar had ruined his original plan, leaving him with no choice but to do so. It was a 50/50 all-in gamble, but there was no other choice.

Han Xiao found himself in the middle of an abandoned farm. He noticed the trails of several vehicles and traced them back to a garage where there were several all-terrain vehicles. Conveniently, their keys were all slotted in.

Reinforcements might appear any moment. I need to leave ASAP.

His escape was far from over. The Organization definitely would not let him off so easily.

Han Xiao threw his backpack into the passenger seat and got into the driver’s seat.

He ignited the engine and stepped on the gas pedal, intending to leave immediately. He ran the vehicle over the electric fence and headed into the forest.

As Han Xiao knew nothing about the geography of the area, he would have to bet it all on following one direction.

…

On the Black Harrier helicopter, Hila noticed her phone ringing.

“Who?” she answered, irritated.

“Commander Hila, there’s a situation. Zero has gone rogue. He’s killed Vice-commander Baltar, Professor Lin Wei Xian, and over 30 guards. He’s also destroyed all the Valkyrie records in the base…”

The Team A leader was dispirited. They were definitely going to be punished for having been useless—that went without saying. However, he still had to swallow the bitter pill and contact the commander as they were all trapped and needed someone to deactivate the lockdown.

Hila frowned.

“Are you kidding me? I personally conducted his brainwashing! How could he have survived the procedure? Has he been fooling even me?” she wondered.

Hila immediately contacted the boss to relay the news.

“Turn back right now and give chase,” ordered the boss, enraged.

“But my sister—” Hila began to argue.

“Shut up. You have no right to bargain with me.”

Hila glowered as she reluctantly ordered the pilot, “Return to base!”

“Commander Hila, the helicopter needs to land to refuel first.”

“Step on it.”

The Night Owl Squad had also received the order to return.

No. 1 was livid with rage at the guards’ pitiful appearances.

“There are sixty of you and you can’t even stop one person! Are there spies here‽”

He was unable to believe that Han Xiao could have escaped alone, not when it was impossible for himself.

The guards were terrified by his accusation. No one dared to betray the organization, and for good reason. However, they were demoralized and unable to talk back. They did secretly hope that Han Xiao could escape as it would help their case.

“That’s enough. The boss ordered us to hunt him down,” interrupted Silver Blade coldly.

“Hold on, the test subject team will follow,”

No. 1 was now rattled by Han Xiao’s combat prowess, and this frustrated him. He felt like he needed to defeat Han Xiao in order to prove his worth to the organization.

…

Night had fallen, and the night sky was decorated by numerous blue moons.

Each planet in Galaxy had a different kind of landscape and environment. In Han Xiao’s previous life, there existed players who specialized in galactic tourism. They would sell albums of beautiful scenery and landscape from across the universe.

Unfortunately, the thick canopy blocked out nearly all the moonlight, making it hard for Han Xiao to see, much less enjoy the night view.

Han Xiao drove carefully, fearful of crashing into a tree. The darkness was extremely disadvantageous for him. Not only was he unable to move quickly, the sound of his engine could also expose his location.

It’s really bad to drive at night. I’d better walk.

He stopped the car and turned off the engine, deciding to abandon it.

The silence in the forest began to set in, and he noticed that the shadows around him resembled ghostly figures.

_____________________

You have obtained Combat Biscuit x5, Mineral Water x3.

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Han Xiao found some ration and water in the boot of the car. He stored them inside his bag and continued on foot. As he was unable to do anything about the trail that his car had left, he could only change his direction slightly to throw off any pursuers.

The night was his cloak.

Although Han Xiao was completely exhausted, and his stamina was almost depleted, he did not dare to stop for a break.

Suddenly, Han Xiao heard the sound of engines coming from behind. He instantly sought for shelter behind a tree before peeking out to see 3 sets of flickering headlights about 300 meters away.

He was about to creep towards a safer location when suddenly, a gunshot pierced the night.

Han Xiao’s danger sense tingled, and he threw himself onto the ground. Something grazed past his shoulder. He turned to see that the bullet had narrowly missed him to pierce a tree ten meters away.

The three vehicles stopped, and 6 men alighted. They were were none other than Night Owl Squad 3. The person who had fired was Silver Blade.

Six Cyclopes‽ Han Xiao was momentarily taken aback by their appearance. Those are night vision goggles!

Han Xiao cursed his luck.

_____________________

You have been grazed by an SWP sniper rifle! 18 damage taken!

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Holy cow. Even though it was just a graze, it did as much damage as a direct shot from a handgun!

_____________________

You have entered combat and gained enemy information!

Night Owl Agent

Lv. 15

Classes: Lv. 10 Agent, Lv. 5 Elite Agent

Stats: 18 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 25 Endurance, 10 Intelligence, 3 MYS, 8 Charisma, 1 Luck

Energy: 0

Power Level: 40

Health: 350

Abilities:

Grinder: +100 Health

Pain Tolerance: Combat strength not affected by injury

Skills:

Lv. 4 Basic Combat

Lv. 5 Basic Shooting

Lv. 2 Precise Aim

Lv. 1 Sniper (Leader)

Equipment:

_____________________

SWP Sniper Rifle (High Caliber)

Grade: Common

Damage: 70-88

Fire Rate: 0.5/s

Ammo: 5 bullets per magazine

Power Level: 30

Prerequisite(s): Lv. 1 Sniper

_____________________

Thermal Night-vision Goggles

Grade: Common

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73-WASP Handgun

Grade: Common

Small Caliber Handgun

Damage: 28-35

Fire Rate: 1.1/s

Ammo: 10 bullets per magazine

Power Level: 13

_____________________

G-Grenade (3)

Deals 50-80 damage to all targets in a 20-meter radius. Has a chance to do bonus damage.

Power Level: 45

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Jackson Assault Rifle

Grade: Common

Assault Rifle

Damage: 36-42

Fire Rate (manual): 1.5/s

Fire Rate (continuous): 4/s

Maximum Fire Rate (burst): 10/s (3 seconds)

Ammo: 30 bullets per magazine

Power Level: 33

_____________________

Lightweight Kevlar Vest

Grade: Common

Defense: 10-12

Durability: 50

Metal Alloy Dagger

Grade: Common

Damage: 8-12

Length: 0.28m

_____________________

All six of them were elite agents, an advanced class. Although they were lower level than 　　Han Xiao, they still had high stats, and were much better equipped.

Han Xiao’s face darkened.

Oh boy…

All that Han Xiao had in his arsenal was the enhanced 73-WASP handgun, an N9 Colt Assault Rifle, 15 magazines of ammo, and the Lightweight Mecha Arm whose durability had been reduced to 130. He was essentially outmatched in terms of equipment.

Bang!

The sniper rifle was fired again. The bullet pierced through the tree he was hiding behind, narrowly missing him. Han Xiao groaned. While the enemy had night-vision, he could only attempt to make out their position from the muzzle flashes.

The sniper rifle was too powerful. With his current health, it would probably take only 3 shots to kill him. Han Xiao decided to put the 18 unassigned stat points at his disposal to use. He added 14 points into Endurance for additional health and 4 into Strength to bolster his Strength advantage. Engaging in a shootout would only be disadvantageous, so even though close combat was risky, he had to take the chance. It was virtually impossible to run away since the enemy had night vision. The only way to make it out now was to kill them all!

With the +10 bonus from the Mechanical Arm on top of his 29 Strength, Han Xiao had enough Strength to ensure that his blows would proc ‘overwhelming blows’. With 36 points in Endurance, he now had a max HP of 460. He had instantly gained 140 HP from adding Endurance, which was crucial as Han Xiao was already low on health. His current HP was now close to 400, which was much more optimistic than before.

The agents were fanning out to surround him, and Han Xiao noticed that they were not very closely coordinated.

He estimated that it would take around 5 to 8 seconds for them to reach each other to help.

In other words, Han Xiao had to be sure to finish off his target in this short amount of time.

Having killed over 30 guards in the Valkyrie base, Han Xiao was now sitting on 116,000 experience points.

He dumped all of it into his combat skills.

_____________________

[Grappling] has been raised to Lv. 5

+7% Counter, +10% Damage (bare-handed)

[Basic Combat] has been raised to Lv. 8

+8% Damage (bare-handed)

As [Basic Combat] has reached Lv. 8 and [Submission] has reached Lv. 3, you may learn one of these three advanced skills:

[Special Ops Combat]

[Jiu-jitsu]

[Iron Fist]

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Special Ops focused on explosiveness, assassination, and usage of tools; Jiu-jitsu focused on grappling and submission; Iron Fist focused on strengthening the limbs and improving one’s tolerance to taking damage. They were three very different styles of skills. What Han Xiao needed now was explosiveness, so he chose [Special Ops Combat].

_____________________

You have learnt the advanced skill [Special Ops Combat]

+6% Crit Rate (melee), +4% Damage (bare-handed)

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Han Xiao’s melee damage was now increased by 15%, and his overall combat ability was also boosted considerably. Not only did he feel much stronger than before, he had a mysterious feeling that he had somehow acquired mastery over several fighting styles.

It’s a pity that I still don’t have any active energy-based combat skills, thought Han Xiao. As Mechanics had very few active skills in their earlier levels, they couldn’t make much use of their Energy.

Han Xiao put on the Lightweight Mecha Arm and crouched down. He took a few moments to regulate his breathing and optimize his oxygen flow before suddenly springing forward and charging towards the agent closest to him on the flank. As soon as Han Xiao showed himself, the 6 agents opened fire.

With the mecha arm as his shield, Han Xiao weaved through the trees to evade the rain of metal while returning fire with the SMG in his other hand. The smell of gunpowder was overbearing.

In 3 seconds, Han Xiao came within range of his target. He threw the SMG at the agent’s gun hand as a distraction before swinging the mighty mecha arm at him. The agent raised his arms in reflex to block the blow and endured the pain to draw his handgun. He aimed at Han Xiao’s head and fired, but Han Xiao’s Dexterity was not just for show. With seemingly inhuman reflexes, Han Xiao clipped his arm over the agent’s gun hand and tugged down to make him lose balance and buckle forward before proceeding to ruthlessly smash his knee up into his groin.

_____________________

You have dealt a fatal blow! 2x Critical Hit! Your target is stunned for 2 seconds!

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Although the agent’s expression was covered by his goggles, his painful scream was telling of the blow’s effectiveness. Han Xiao took advantage of his temporary immobility to knee him again and again.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

-78! -81! -84!

Sorry brother, I know it must hurt a lot, but I’m not the one who decided not to include groin protection in your armour!

The agent’s HP plummeted and Han Xiao finished him off by ripping into his throat with the Mechanical Arm. Before Han Xiao could celebrate his first kill, he felt a sharp pain in his back. He hurriedly dropped to the ground and dragged the agent’s body over him as a shield while he crawled towards a tree for cover.

_____________________

You have been shot by an SWP Sniper Rifle! 68 Damage taken!

You have been shot by a high caliber bullet! You are now bleeding (medium)! You will lose 3 HP every second for 15 seconds.

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The pain caused Han Xiao’s face to pale. Just a single shot had taken out one whole chunk of his health bar. Unfortunately, he could not afford the time to bandage the wound.

“Damn it!” The remaining five Night Owl agents were enraged that Han Xiao had killed their comrade. They rapidly closed in as they fired, cornering Han Xiao.

Han Xiao quickly searched through the agent’s body and put on his Kevlar Vest. It would do well to block one or two shots. More importantly, however, he found three G-fragment grenades, one of which he immediately tossed out.

Kaboom!

The agents had to stop shooting as they frantically ducked for cover.

“Shoot more, assholes!” yelled Han Xiao furiously as he threw out a second grenade, causing the five agents to scramble back to the ground just as they were about to get up.

After the blast, a third black object was flung out in the air, and the five agents subconsciously crouched down once more. However, when there was no explosion after two seconds had passed, they looked up to see that it was just a piece of rock.

Meanwhile, Han Xiao was already charging towards the next agent while firing his assault rifle wildly. Although Han Xiao managed to kill the agent who was seeking cover in the grass, he was now out of ammo.

Han Xiao tossed the rifle away and threw the third grenade, buying himself some time to get in range. As he rammed into the third agent, knocking him down, a shot from Silver Blade’s assault rifle clipped him in the calf.

Han Xiao grimaced. The calf injury affected his movement speed, so Han Xiao decided to jump into the agent he had knocked down, causing them to tumble together out of the other agents’ line of sight where he made short work of him behind a tree. The agents simply stood no chance against him at close combat.

But there were still three agents left! Although the odds were against him and he had lost half of his HP, Han Xiao remained calm and spent some time to plan his next move.

“The enemy will probably…”

Meanwhile, Silver Blade was in complete disbelief. He had vastly underestimated the test subject, resulting in their number being halved.

“Bomb him!” he ordered.

They threw grenades

Kaboom!

“Is he dead?”

“Stay cautious,” replied Silver Blade as he and the other two agents slowly approached.

When they reached the tree, they noticed that there was a burnt corpse on the ground. From what remained of its uniform, it appeared to have been Han Xiao.

“Finally.” The two agents lowered their guns and relaxed.

“No!” shouted Silver Blade all of a sudden. “Get down!”

Before the two agents could react, a gunshot was fired! However, the gunshot was not intended for either of them! Instead, it was aimed at the corpse, or more precisely, the three grenades that were planted on it!

As they were at point blank range, the two agents were instantly engulfed by the blast and bombarded with shrapnel.

_____________________

You have dealt 60 Damage to the enemy! x8

You have killed a Night Owl Agent! 1500 EXP gained! x2

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Han Xiao rose up weakly from a patch of tall grass. He was heavily injured, bleeding, and almost out of stamina. Fatigue was setting in, and it was taking him all the willpower and focus that he could muster just to keep his eyes open.

He had managed to survive the previous blast with 50 HP left by using the agent’s corpse as a meat shield, after which he had dressed the corpse in his clothes and planted the grenades. Only Silver Blade had been vigilant enough to escape his trap.

Han Xiao limbs were shaking uncontrollably, and he couldn’t even see properly due to the blood blurring his vision.

Suddenly, a black figure darted towards him.

“You asked for it!” howled an enraged Silver Blade as he thrust a knife forward.

…

The searchlight from a Black Harrier helicopter was illuminating the forest. Hila jumped down from the aircraft into what seemed like the aftermath of a fierce battle.

The test subject squad had already arrived and were collecting blood samples. No. 1 was standing silently with clenched fists.

The sight of the six agents’ bodies stunned Hila for a few moments.

As unbelievable as it seemed, Zero had eliminated Night Owl Squad 3 and escaped!

She crouched down to examine the bodies, and was able to deduce that one had died by gunshot, two by explosion, and three in melee combat.

Silver Blade’s entire lower body had been pulverized, and there were shards of glass from his night vision goggles embedded in his eyes. He had clearly been done in by someone much more powerful than him!

How could Zero have become so strong all of a sudden? Even if he had been hiding his true capabilities the entire time, Zero had only been training for at most half a year! It was simply inconceivable that he could take on the Night Owl Squad that comprised of veteran elite agents.

“Could he have awoken superpowers like I did?”

Hila regretted not having kept a closer eye on Han Xiao. Perhaps, she thought, she could have prevented all of this.

Also, Zero had chosen to escape on the same day that she had happened to be away. Was it luck, or had he planned it all?

“Their equipment is missing, but we managed to find this,” reported one of the agents as he showed the mecha arm to Hila.

The mecha arm was drenched in blood, and there was a knife sticking out of its engine.

“Bring it back.”

…

One day later, a large number of Germinal personnel arrived at the Valkyrie base to salvage any remaining surveillance footage and gather clues. The boss himself also came.

The boss of the Germinal Organization wore a black coat, black mask, black gloves… well, he was essentially covered in black from head to toe, and looked like he had come right out of ‘Detective Conan’. Only five people in the entire organization had ever seen his face.

“Where is Zero?” he asked plainly.

“We failed to track him,” answered No. 1 through clenched teeth. “If I have more time…”

The boss abruptly raised a hand in dismissal. No. 1 immediately stopped blabbering.

The boss was in an extremely bad mood. Just a few days ago, he had dismissed Zero as a piece of trash, and this ‘piece of trash’ had managed to escape while taking out so many of his men.

“Thirty armed guards killed, all the research destroyed, and one elite squad wiped. On top of that, he killed Lin Wei Xian and escaped? Are you kidding me‽” he yelled at his men.

“I want to know when he turned and how he got so strong.”

A researcher hastily replied, “We have come up with a theory after going through his records.”

“Go on.”

“Zero’s behavior and actions before and after the experiment are strikingly different. According to the original reports from his capture, Zero’s original identity was Xiao Han, the third son of the Alumera family’s second-in-charge.”

This was shocking news even to the boss himself. The Alumera family were a powerful warring clan allied with the country of Theus.

Test subjects captured for experimentation were usually criminals or stragglers. How did someone with such background end up in their hands?

“The son of the Alumera’s second-in-charge? How?”

“According to our investigations, Xiao Han was the most ungifted among his siblings. Not only was he unable to awaken any energy, he was extremely incapable at leadership and weak-minded,” answered the researcher as he flipped through his report. “Our agents stumbled across him in the wreckage of a battle. He had been following his elder brother, Xiao Hai, on a transport mission when they were ambushed by an enemy.”

“Continue.”

“At the time, Xiao Hai was in command of the team, and the assailants’ true aim was not the goods that they were transporting, but he himself. He was the most promising of his siblings, and was more or less guaranteed to succeed his father’s position. According to our intel, the ambush was an inside job. Someone within the family wanted to get rid of him.”

“During the ambush, Xiao Hai forced Xiao Han to swap clothes with him and he used him as bait. In the end, while Xiao Han was hit by a cannon, Xiao Hai managed to escape to safety.”

“Since when was our network that well-informed?” frowned the boss.

“Erm… Xiao Hai did not bother to hide the truth, including the fact that he used Xiao Han as bait.”

“The circumstances of Xiao Han’s death did not hurt Xiao Hai’s standing in the family. At the time, the second-in-charge even said that Xiao Hai had done well. As you know, the Alumera family values power above all. A burden like Xiao Han meant nothing to them. Even his siblings did not mourn his death.”

Han Xiao’s past existence was like a roadside flower that everyone trampled over without notice.

The boss laughed coldly.

“The weak do indeed deserve no sympathy. Enough of his past. Tell me what happened during the 6 months.”

“We think that the Valkyrie experiment triggered a change within his body—a change greater than we could have imagined. It did not just unlock his talent for machinery; what it did was enhance his intelligence. We think that he has been planning his escape from the very start!”

“Are you saying that the brainwash did not work on him?” interrupted Hila.

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

Hila frowned.

The researcher continued, “How is it possible for a subject with no memories to develop his own will? The only explanation seems to be that Valkyrie helped him to regain his memories. However, since he was never a gifted person to begin with, Valykrie must have also awakened some kind of hidden strength within him.”

“Are you sure?” asked the leader coldly.

“Not absolutely…” admitted the researcher. It was simply conjecture after all. Who the hell could be sure.

No. 1 couldn’t help but butt in. “Was he just luck—”

The boss instantly silenced him with a stare.

“Oh right. The guards also brought back this mecha arm that he used,” added the researcher. “Although the craftsmanship of the arm itself is not very refined, I must say that it is quite a revolutionary concept. It seems like this mecha arm played a huge part in his escape. The weapons development department would like to replicate this model for development.”

Finally, thought the boss, something good to hear.

“Funds are not an issue. I just want results.”

The researcher nodded, continuing. “No matter what, Zero’s cunning and talents make him a dangerous person. He has high research value. Whether dead or alive, obtaining his body will undoubtedly help us in perfecting Valkyrie.”

While the researchers were all terrified of Han Xiao as he could have killed them anytime he wanted, they were, after all, men of science.

No. 1 frowned.

From the moment that he was created, he knew that he had a predecessor. This fact alone caused him to identify Han Xiao as an enemy. However, just when he thought that he had surpassed Han Xiao, reality hit him like a truck.

“Before determining the exact factor behind the drug’s effects, cease all experimentation. Round up all the test subjects once more for another round of brainwashing. I don’t want another Zero to appear,” ordered the boss.

No. 1’s eyes widened in disbelief. He felt that his loyalty to the organization was being doubted.

“I wish to lead a team to pursue Zero!” he burst out.

The boss looked at No. 1 as he contemplated. He did indeed have high expectations for the test subject squad.

“Can you do it?”

“I will definitely succeed!” declared No. 1.

“Fine. Bring Zero back—dead or alive!”

Seven days later, somewhere in a radiant, glowing forest, a frail-looking man was still trying to find his way out of the seemingly endless woods.

Han Xiao needed food and water desperately. His backpack was bulging but only with equipment.

Seven days ago, he had defeated Silver Blade with relative ease by sacrificing the mecha arm.

Losing it was not that big of a deal though, as Han Xiao still had the blueprints and could always craft another.

Although the forest was not an ideal place for recovery, Han Xiao’s high Endurance gave him resistance to wound infection. Still, he did have to withstand the pain of digging out the bullets inside him. The pain from extracting the sniper bullet lodged in his shoulder blade, in particular, had been so excruciating that it had immobilized Han Xiao for almost an hour.

At the very least, he was lucky to have not encountered any wild beasts, although he did catch a few hares. The wild beasts on Planet Aquamarine were extremely ferocious, and some of them were even intelligent. In Galaxy, they occasionally attacked human cities. Some beasts, like the amphibious orca elephant, were so massive that conventional weaponry was completely ineffective against them.

Although Han Xiao knew the geography of Planet Aquamarine well, it wasn’t really of much use to him when he did not know where exactly he was. Han Xiao would sleep on top of trees at night, and if the past seven nights had taught him anything, it was that mosquitoes were the most detestable creatures in the world.

Will I ever get out of this forest?

As if in answer to his prayers, a wanderers’ encampment soon appeared in Han Xiao’s sights.

Suddenly, Han Xiao’s expression changed and he jumped backwards abruptly. In the same instant that he had reacted, a huge net sprung up from beneath the sand. It was embedded with shards of metal.

“The bastard dodged!”

A long-haired young man carrying a shotgun walked out from behind a tree. His clothes were ragged and patched with animal skin.

“Stand still!” he shouted.

The young man was most likely one of the residents from the encampment, and Han Xiao, not wishing to create unnecessary trouble, held his hands up above his head.

“I’m just a passerby.”

“A passerby?”

Han Xiao’s bulging backpack caught the young man’s eye.

“What’s in the bag? Take everything out! ”

Han Xiao sighed. No wonder the trap was so big; it was precisely meant to catch people. Morals are always blurred in times of trouble. Most wanderers were surviving citizens of the old countries who opted not to join the Six Nations. As life in the wild was harsh, killing and stealing might have been frowned upon, but they were inevitable occurrences.

“Are you deaf? I said, take everything out!” yelled the long-haired young man as he walked forward to hit Han Xiao on the forehead with the butt of his shotgun.

Han Xiao was exasperated. The only contents in his backpack were guns, ammo, and equipment that belonged to the Germinal Organisation. How was he going to explain that?

“Do you not understand me? Want me to screw you up‽”

The long-haired young man cocked the shotgun threateningly.

Suddenly, Han Xiao threw an elbow into the chest of the unsuspecting young man, sending him flying back in shock. Han Xiao grabbed the shotgun from him out of mid-air.

The young man landed heavily on the ground, and he clutched his chest in terror as he scrambled to crawl away.

Han Xiao cut out some rope from the trap and tied the whimpering young man to a tree.

When he examined the shotgun, he realized that its barrel was outright crooked and shook his head. At the very least, it implied that the young man had never killed before and that he had only been acting.

Nonetheless, the young man was so terrified that when he saw it in Han Xiao’s hand, he panicked even more.

“Big brother, please spare me! Forgive me for not recognizing Mt. Tai.”

Han Xiao slapped him squarely on the face, reprimanding, “So, you know that you were wrong‽”

“I was wrong. I was wrong,” blurted the young man shamelessly.

“Why?”

The young man thought for a moment before carefully answering, “I… should have brought one more gun?”

Han Xiao burst into laughter.

“You’re a funny one, eh?”

“Please show me mercy, Mr. Saint. Just let me go as if you’re passing wind,” sobbed the young man with dripping tears.

“Get lost! I’ve never passed such a big wind before.”

Han Xiao raised the shotgun and struck the young man across his face to knock him out cold. At the end of the day, the young man was most likely a resident of the encampment, and Han Xiao still needed to obtain food and water from them.

“Count yourself lucky.”

Half an hour later, Han Xiao finally reached the encampment. His appearance seemed to unsettle the wanderers.

Life in the wild was full of perils, and wanderers were often unwelcoming to outsiders. Their way of life was similar to that of the gypsies, and they were frequently on the go. There were pick-up trucks lined up outside the tent. Most of them were rusty and some didn’t even have exteriors.

Han Xiao noticed that there were only a few dozen tents, making this community a relatively small one. Nevertheless, it was a miniature society in its own, and Han Xiao located the camp’s merchant: a bearded westerner who conducted his business by his pick-up truck.

“Outsider?” The bearded man raised an eyebrow.

“Do you know the rules?” he asked.

“What rules?”

“Barter trading only.”

Well, that’s just fine , thought Han Xiao, since I don’t have a single penny.

“I want a map, three buckets of water, and five kilos of food. Bread or dried meat will do.” said Han Xiao as he retrieved a handful of bullets from his bag and put them on the truck.

“I’ll pay with this.”

“Gunpowder?”

The bearded merchant’s eyes flashed with greed.

Gunpowder was extremely valuable among wanderers as hunting was a key source of food.

“150 bullets,” stated the bearded merchant.

Han Xiao’s face darkened.

Daylight robbery!

The items he had asked for were basic necessities. There was no way that they could be worth so much.

Han Xiao’s bronze bullets were high-quality bullets that could easily go for $10 apiece, yet the merchant was asking for 150 of them, equivalent to $1,500!

“Up to you,” added the merchant nonchalantly as he turned his attention to his fingernails.

As Han Xiao desperately needed food and water, he gave in to the merchant’s demand.

Sighing, he aligned 150 bullets on the back of the truck.

Suddenly, the big bearded man waved a finger.

“180.”

Han Xiao glared at him.

“Ohoho! Such scary eyes. Do you want to kill me or something? Quickly, people, come and see! This man wants to kill me!”

Dozens of wanderers gathered around in an instant. Some of them even came with sticks and bats.

“This is our territory. Are you trying to be funny kid?”

“Okay, okay. 180 bullets. Fuck me.”

Han Xiao hastily threw out more bullets in case he jacked the price up further.

The merchant laughed shrewdly and sent someone to fetch the goods.

After confirming the items, Han Xiao raised a middle finger at the merchant before turning around.

Suddenly, the merchant spoke.

“Hey, are you planning to walk out of the forest?”

“Why, you have a problem with that?”

“I have an old pickup. Want it?” asked the bearded merchant nicely.

“Not as though I can afford your price.” Han Xiao shot back.

“Oh, I think you can,” said the merchant as he pointed towards Han Xiao’s bag. “You have so many bullets. You must have many guns too.”

Han Xiao’s bag was indeed full of guns—high quality ones at that. He had looted from the Night Owl Squad. He even had the sniper rifle and some Kevlar vests. He could easily afford an old pickup.

However, Han Xiao shook his head.

A car would leave a trail. Han Xiao would rather not try racing a helicopter. Walking was safer.

Furthermore, if the Germinal Organization’s agents discovered their guns here, it would be disastrous not only for Han Xiao, but for the wanderers here as well. In some sense, it would be dishonest of him to sell them.

Although Han Xiao had recently killed a big number of people, it was not out of perverseness. It was to survive.

The merchant, however, was not an easily dissuaded person.

He was about to speak again when, suddenly, a man’s voice boomed out. “Kai Luo! You’re taking advantage of outsiders again!”

A well-built man clad in hunter’s clothes patched with animal skins appeared behind the crowd. As he strode forward to the centre of the crowd, everyone shifted to make way for him. The man seemed to command respect.

The big bearded merchant groaned.

“Hu Xuan Jun, I just painstakingly closed a deal. Don’t come and interfere!”

Hu Xuan Jun grabbed the bullets on the truck up and pushed them back into Han Xiao.

“The stuff you want isn’t actually worth much. Treat it as a gift. Here, take these back.”

Han Xiao was stunned by the man’s chivalry and stared at him in disbelief. The man was an extremely muscular Mongolian with white hair on the sides of his head, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle. He looked very much the part of a righteous man, and Han Xiao instantly warmed up to him.

“Hey, what about me?” interrupted Kai Luo.

“Isn’t it just some food? I’ll give you more tomorrow,” replied Hu Xuan Jun casually.

Kai Luo was frustrated. It wasn’t every day that a foreigner came by for him to make a quick buck.

“He who comes from afar is a guest. You look too frail to be travelling alone. Why not recuperate over at my house?”

Han Xiao hesitated. He did indeed need a proper place to recuperate. In any case, Hu Xuan Jun had given him a very good first impression, so he nodded.

As Han Xiao followed Hu Xuan Jun, the crowd scattered. Kai Luo fumed, but there was nothing that he could do. He did not dare to offend Hu Xuan Jun.

Hu Xuan Jun led Han Xiao to his tent. As he entered the tent, he shouted, “An, we have a guest today. Cook more.”

“Okay!” replied a woman’s voice..

Han Xiao followed behind Hu Xuan Jun into the tent. An was a woman who looked rather ordinary and wore a simple waist skirt. Han Xiao noticed that she was blind.

“This is my wife,” introduced Hu Xuan Jun with a smile.

“Nice to meet you,” greeted An as she faced the entrance. She then turned back to pick up crockery, dried meat, and wild vegetables and arranged them inside a simple clay oven in the center of the tent.

Han Xiao and Hu Xuan Jun sat down and chatted away.

After a while, Han Xiao became certain that Hu Xuan Jun did not have any ulterior motives; he was simply an extremely nice person.

“I noticed earlier that most of the people in your community are white. How did you end up with them?” asked Han Xiao.

There were four races of humans on Aquamarine: black, white, yellow, and shanu.

“There wasn’t any special reason for it. It just happened to be a chaotic time. I met some travelers by chance and decided to stay with them as An was sick at the time. Although we come from different countries and are of different races, we are all remnants of the old era, and have all experienced the loss of our countries. There isn’t a need for distinction. We are all human after all.”

Some of those who had lost their countries chose to join the Six Nations. Others opted to join the Germinal Organization. The rest could only become wanderers. Wanderers made up a third of the planet’s population.

Aquamarine used to have over a hundred nations, but that all changed when an advanced civilization came into contact with the planet. The idea of advancing humanity and stepping out into space sparked a movement for sustainability, and the idea of unifying countries gained some popularity. While it was indeed far-fetched to think that that alone could change the face of the entire planet, there were people in power who supported the idea and conspired behind the scenes to make it happen. Long story short, after numerous wars, negotiations, and all kinds of peaceful and non-peaceful efforts, all the countries were united into the Six Nations in the span of a few decades.

Many things that people had once thought to be irreplaceable were simply shove aside by the unstoppable tides of change, and many lives were sacrificed in the process.

Such is civilization. People are like the sediments in the river, destined to go with the flow.

While maintaining the status quo is always easy, revolution always comes with pain and suffering. When comparing individual gain to societal improvement, it is natural for people to favor the former. Truly selfless people are rare creatures, otherwise selflessness would not be seen as a virtue. Statements such as 'see, there are still good people in the world” are sad to hear.

Nevertheless, change had come too soon to Aquamarine.

“The Battle of Andrea was the nail in the coffin. Sometimes, I think about the way we took our lives for granted. I miss how life was peaceful back then. Who would have thought that change could come so suddenly? I mean, even if the planet’s resources do end up being depleted, wouldn’t that be in a few hundred years from now? Why do we have to answer for something like that?” lamented Hu Xuan Jun.

Han Xiao sighed empathetically.

“Who knows, perhaps it was inevitable. Societal strife was destined to reach a boiling point. Maybe short-term pain is better than long-term suffering.” Han Xiao shrugged.

The Battle of Andrea set the post-unification landscape of the planet in stone.

Andrea was the name of a continent, once home to several nations. As the war developed, Andrea had, for some reason, became the proxy of the conflict. It was as though all the countries had agreed to settle things there once and for all, as though they were trying to contain the scale of damage inflicted onto the planet. However, billions of lives were lost as a result.

By the time the war ended, all that remained of Andrea was a desolate land of scorched earth and withered trees. Its rivers were left blighted, and the once fertile, lush landscape was no more. The Six Nations simply packed up and left as soon as the battle ended, ignoring the destruction that they had caused.

Han Xiao noticed an old blister on Hu Xuan Jun’s palm.

“You used to be a soldier?” he asked.

“Yes, for over ten years.”

“I thought that remnants like yourself would choose to join the Germinal Organization.”

Hu Xuan Jun shook his head.

“My home country was peacefully annexed by Stardragon. Soldiers like me didn’t have any say. We simply follow the decision that our leaders made. I do detest the Six Nations, but the Germinal Organization is no better. They popped out of nowhere to take advantage of our hatred for the Six Nations. Sigh… I’m a simple man. All I want is to escape war.”

“War is cruel. My eyes were blinded by a flash grenade. My husband and I fled tirelessly before settling here. Even though life as a wanderer is not easy, it is better than war,” An chimed in.

As she finished speaking, the smell of meat filled up the tent, causing Han Xiao’s mouth to water.

“How do you cook without being able to see?” he asked.

An puffed her cheeks.

“Don’t look down on me! I might be blind, but I can still smell, hear, and feel! It’s not like I don’t have any limbs.”

Hu Xuan Jun smiled.

“She has a strong character. Won’t even let me take care of her.”

“I don’t want to be your baggage,” responded An meekly, prompting Hu Xuan Jun to scratch his head in embarrassment. He hurriedly changed the subject.

“Oh right, I’ll let you take a look at my baby.”

Hu Xuan Jun opened a storage box beside him to retrieve an old-fashioned gun.

“Let’s see if you know your guns,” he said proudly.

_____________________

Bayonet Musket (Old Era)

Grade: Average

Base Stats:

Damage: 38-40

Fire Rate: 0.9/s

Magazine Capacity: 20

Range: 200m Range

Power Output: 25

Durability: 5/300

Stat Bonus: +1 Dexterity

Length: 0.77m

Weight: 7.1kg

Additional Effects: Accurate

Remarks: This weapon has accompanied its master through countless battles.

_____________________

“It is a fine gun,” praised Han Xiao. “Even though it has been used for so long, you still keep it well polished. The barrel is perfect. Truly a well-made gun.”

“This gun is my partner. He’s been with me for close to ten years,” laughed Hu Xuan Jun. “It only looks new because I frequently oil it. The truth is that its workings have aged. It can’t be used anymore.”

The pair continued to chat until the sky darkened and An had finished cooking.

An had cooked a gigantic pot of creamy soup filled with tender meat and wild vegetables. Not only was it extremely fragrant and flavorful, it was also visually appetizing, and Han Xiao couldn’t help but drool.

Han Xiao gulped at the sight of the meat. He had had nothing good to eat for the past seven days! His closeness with Hu Jun Xuan was skyrocketing on the spot. +1! +1! +1!

After dinner, Hu Xuan Jun asked Han Xiao to stay for the night.

Han Xiao decided to stay since he did not intend to travel at night anyway. They laid a mattress for him and set up a partition.

“Your bag is too big. I’ll put it outside,” said An.

“I’ll do it myself.”

Before bringing his bag out, Han Xiao dismantled all the guns in his backpack to take out their triggers. He wrapped them in some animal skin that he got from Hu Jun Xuan and set the package in a corner.

Han Xiao also loaded up his 73-WASP and placed it under his pillow. Of course, he was not being weary of his warm hosts or anything like that. It was simply important always to be prepared and alert.

As soon as Han Xiao’s head hit the pillow, he instantly fell asleep.

His snoring could be heard through the curtain. Hu Xuan Jun laughed as he shook his head.

“Looks like he’s beat. Let’s not disturb him.”

An nodded and proceeded to take the cutlery outside to wash.

“Uncle, uncle! I’m famished!”

Suddenly, a disheveled young man entered the tent. His entire face was covered in mud, and there was a swollen bump on his head. It was none other than the young man that Han Xiao had encountered this afternoon.

He was Hu Xuan Jun’s nephew, Hu Fei.

“Where have you been all day? I didn’t see you at all,” questioned Hu Xuan Jun.

“I— I went out hunting,” stammered Hu Fei.

Hu Xuan Jun could tell that his nephew was lying. He pulled Hu Fei’s ear and began to scold him in a strict but soft voice, “Are you up to your pranks again‽ I told you that I would fucking chop them off if you took that broken shotgun to scare people again, didn’t I?”

Tears began to flow out of Hu Fei’s eyes as he filled up with indignance and pain. “Your nephew not only got bullied today, he was even tied to a tree for the entire day! I’m so tired and hungry, uncle, give me a break,” he thought.

“Please, uncle, don’t chop them off,” he bawled.

“Which leg do you want me to chop?”

“J-just don’t chop off my balls…”

“…”

“You and your dirty mind! Don’t worry, I’ll chop them off for you since that’s what you want!”

Hu Xuan Jun was about to raise a hand to slap Hu Fei when he remembered that Han Xiao was sleeping. He let Hu Fei off with a warning.

Noticing that there was someone else in the tent, Hu Fei peered beyond the partition to see who it was. When he saw Han Xiao, his jaw dropped.

‘Isn’t that the devil from this afternoon‽’

“What are you looking at? Tonight, you sleep outside,” Hu Xuan Jun suddenly whispered from his side.

Hu Fei gave a start and fell backwards. He quickly scrambled out of the tent on all fours, leaving Hu Xuan Jun bewildered.

‘Is my face that hideous?’

…

“Why am I running away from my own home? This is the perfect chance to get my revenge!” realized Hu Fei as he stopped in his tracks.

He proceeded to turn back to return to the tent, instantly changed his mind at the thought of Han Xiao’s scary face.

“Hu Fei, ah, Hu Fei, show some guts!”

As he began to formulate a plan he recalled that there was a package in the tent that he had never seen before.

“It must be his!”

…

Hu Fei waited until midnight, when everyone had gone to bed. He tiptoed into his own house and picked up the package.

“Hehe. What do we have here?”

When Hu Fei unfolded the package, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Guns!

High quality guns!

“I can’t take them all…”

Hu Fei picked out two 73-WASPs.

“Forget it. Since my uncle is playing host to you, I’ll only take two as compensation!”

He wrapped the remaining guns up and returned the package to its original position.

“It’s only two guns. He probably won’t notice.”

Han Xiao woke up the next morning fully recovered.

“Brother Han, you’re awake,” greeted Hu Xuan Jun, who was doing his morning exercises outside the tent.

Although Han Xiao was somewhat unwilling to bid farewell to the kindhearted couple, he knew that he had to leave.

“I am indebted to you. Unfortunately, I need to leave now. I will repay you in the future.”

“I’ve made some pancakes; you can eat them while traveling,” said An as she handed a small package over to Han Xiao.

The warmth from the pancakes flowed into Han Xiao’s hands, resonating with his heart.

“I slept well last night. Thank you for everything.”

“Ha ha. Don’t mention it. Just helping a brother in need,” replied Hu Xuan Jun sincerely.

Han Xiao went to gather his belongings. When he went to fetch the bundle of guns, he noticed that the leaf he had placed on it the night before had fallen off.

“Someone has touched my stuff.”

“That’s not possible!” Hu Xuan Jun was alarmed. “An and I didn’t—hold on! Hu Fei! Get your ass over here right now!”

Hu Fei, who had been eavesdropping from behind the tent, walked out.

“You again?”

Hu Fei averted his eyes to the ground.

Hu Xuan Jun kicked his nephew in the butt.

“Did you steal again? Hand it back right now!”

Hu Fei bit his lips and grudgingly took out a 73-WASP handgun from his clothes.

“Brother Han, do as you deem fit! This kid deserves a beating.”

“It’s okay. Everything is fine as long as I get the gun back. My guns will bring you misfortune,” Han Xiao sighed a breath of relief.

“May we be fated to meet again. Farewell,” bid Han Xiao.

“Take care,” nodded Hu Xuan Jun.

Han Xiao picked up his backpack and departed.

“I will never forget this kindness,” he thought to himself.

“Bastard’s finally gone,” rejoiced Hu Fei. “Hehe, he didn’t realize that I stole two guns.”

He slipped to the back of the tent where he had hidden the other handgun in a box.

“Even if he comes back, I just have to deny that I have it.”

“But… why does this gun have no trigger?”

…

The map that Han Xiao had obtained had been crudely drawn. However, Han Xiao was able to learn his current position from it and that sufficed.

He was currently in the country of Stardragon, and by his estimations, it would take him just three more days to reach the main road. There, he could hitch a ride to the city.

In the afternoon, Han Xiao found a spot to eat and replenish his stamina.

As he unpacked his guns to return them to his backpack, he suddenly discovered that something was amiss.

There seems to be a missing gun.

Han Xiao recounted to confirm his suspicions. He immediately dispelled any thoughts of lunch and hastily packed up to retrieve it.

…

No. 1 and his men arrived at the encampment right after Han Xiao had left. They rounded up the wanderers and were holding them at gunpoint.

“Has anyone seen this man?”

No. 1 projected a holographic face in mid-air using a device on his wrist.

It was none other than Han Xiao.

“No.”

“Never seen him before.”

Everyone denied seeing him.

They knew that the Germinal Organization would not dare to do anything to them.

Wanderers were a neutral faction, and both the Six Nations and the Germinal Organization were always trying to win their support.

Only one wanderer was trembling uncontrollably for some reason.

No. 1 was in a foul mood, having been in pursuit of Han Xiao for 7 days before arriving at this encampment. If the people here had not seen Han Xiao, it meant that he had gone in the completely wrong direction.

“Withdraw!” ordered No. 1. However, just as he was about to board the car, he noticed the shaking Hu Fei.

“Bring that kid here!”

Hu Fei was dragged to No. 1.

No. 1 squinted at him and asked, “Do you know this person?”

“No, I don’t.” Hu Fei shook his head repeatedly.

No. 1 noticed an out-of-place outline in his clothes and ordered, “Search his body!”

Hu Fei was pressed to the ground and watched in horror as the 73-WASP was taken from him.

“This is one of our guns!” exclaimed No. 1. He held the gun up to the crowd and shouted, “Zero has obviously been here. How dare you all try and lie! Do you want to die‽”

“Speak! Where has he gone!”

The terrified wanderers began to turn their eyes to the person who had first spoken to Han Xiao, Kai Luo.

Kai Luo was squatting in the corner like an ostrich.

“What are you guys looking at me for? All I did was sell him some stuff. Ask Hu Xuan Jun! He definitely knows!”

Hu Xuan Jun stood up slowly in the crowd.

“I don’t know,” he declared.

Kai Luo, wanting to cast away the suspicion on him, retorted, “How can you not know? You let him spend the night at your house!”

No. 1’s face darkened.

The other wanderers began to urge Hu Xuan Jun to say the truth.

“Hurry up and say what you know!”

“Do you want us to die because of some outsider?”

Hu Xuan Jun cursed Kai Luo under his breath before taking a deep breath to compose himself.

“That person went in that direction,” he said, pointing to the opposite of where Han Xiao had headed.

“You’re very good, you.”

Bang!

A hole appeared in Hu Xuan Jun’s forehead. He fell back and landed on the ground with a loud thud.

Hu Fei shrieked at the sight of his lifeless body.

Just… just like that‽

No. 1 stared at the Hu Xuan Jun’s dead body. He would not hesitate to kill anyone who helped Han Xiao.

“Old Hu?” An couldn’t see, but she could hear exactly what had transpired. She stood up from the crowd and attempted to locate her husband.

Bang!

Her head exploded.

An’s body crumpled to the ground, landing an arm’s length away from her husband.

No. 1 sneered.

“Asked for it.”

Hu Fei was torn with regret.

His one moment of greed had caused all of this.

All the wanderers were stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Suddenly, No. 1’s transmitter lit up, projecting a holograph of the boss’s face.

“What the hell are you doing? Who gave you permission to kill?”

No. 1 instantly shrunk in fear. He hastily began to explain, “These wanderers lied to us, so I was just trying to teach them a lesson. We’ll depart right now.”

“Forget it. Since you’ve already started it, end it properly. Don’t let news of this get out.”

No. 1 nodded and gave a signal.

…

Dusk had fallen.

Han Xiao was finally reaching the encampment. Suddenly, the smell of blood filled his nose, causing his heart to sink.

“I’m too late.”

Han Xiao entered the encampment to a gruesome sight. It was the aftermath of a bloodbath.

He spotted Hu Xuan Jun and An’s lifeless bodies, causing him to shake with rage.

Suddenly, a figure began got up from the ground. It was the big bearded merchant who had attempted to scam Han Xiao.

Kai Luo had fainted at the start of the massacre, and it ended up saving his life. Before he could rejoice, however, he noticed that there was someone looking at him. When he saw that it was Han Xiao, he began to tremble in fear.

Han Xiao walked over to him and grabbed his collar.

“Tell me what happened here!”

“It was the Germinal Organization! The Germinal Organization! They killed us because we wouldn’t tell them where you went! Ah! They massacred us! You must take revenge for us, for Hu Xuan Jun!”

“Ugh… cough…”

Han Xiao suddenly heard another person making feeble noises. He followed the sound and found Hu Fei, who was riddled with 5 or 6 bullet holes. He was on the brink of death.

When he saw the handgun clutched in Hu Fei’s hand, Han Xiao understood exactly what had transpired. Mixed emotions filled him.

“I told you the gun was dangerous… but you didn’t listen…”

Hu Fei clutched onto Han Xiao’s pants with a shaking hand. The sight of him crying was heartbreaking.

“I shouldn’t have been so greedy! I— I regret it so much… I was wrong… I was wrong…”

Hu Fei weakly lifted a finger to point at Kai Luo.

“Don’t believe him… he betrayed my uncle…”

Hu Fei spurted out a big mouthful of blood.

“I will help you end your misery,” said Han Xiao, shaking his head.

Crack!

“Don’t listen to h-”

Before Kai Luo could finish his sentence, Han Xiao fired a shot. A hole appeared in his head.

Kai Luo’s body collapsed to its knees.

“Everyone is dead. You should join them, too.”

Han Xiao closed his eyes tightly.

Although Han Xiao’s killing intent was skyrocketing, it was being restrained by his logic, much like a caged tiger. The cooler he appeared, the hotter he would erupt.

Han Xiao walked over to Hu Xuan Jun’s body. His finger was still outstretched, pointing towards some car trails.

The exact opposite of where he had headed to!

Hu Xuan Jun had not sold him out.

Han Xiao’s heart ached.

Even until the end, Hu Xuan Jun had looked out for him, an outsider.

_____________________

You have activated a Class-E Quest

[Revenge]

Quest Hint: Eliminate the Test Subject Squad

Quest Reward: 15,000 Experience

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Han Xiao left the couple’s side and walked into the tent to retrieve Hu Xuan Jun’s prized bayonet musket. For a second, it seemed to glow and call out to Han Xiao.

“You want to avenge your partner, right?”

Han Xiao took all the guns in his bag and lay them beside the bayonet musket. He began to dismantle them and use their parts to remodel the bayonet musket.

Han Xiao’s Basic Assembly and Basic Enhancement were both Lv. 10. Although the names of these two abilities were very simple, they were indispensable abilities of a mechanic.

_____________________

Bayonet Rifle (Modified)

Grade: Average

Base Stats:

Damage: 66-69

Fire Rate: 1.1/s

Magazine Capacity: 10

Effective Range: 450

Power Output: 37

Bonus Stats: +2 Dexterity

Length: 0.86m

Weight: 8.3kg

Additional Effect: Accurate – Wind effects reduced.

Additional Effect: Piercing – Modified to use large-caliber ammo for higher penetration.

Description: It hungers for vengeance.

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Han Xiao counted his sniper bullets. There were 25, all looted from Silver Blade.

As there seemed to have only been two cars, there was probably not more than twelve enemies.

Han Xiao began to give chase into the forest.

He knew that it would be impossible to catch up with a car, but that was not Han Xiao’s intention at all.

There was a high chance that they would realize they had been lied to and head back. Hence, Han Xiao planned to ambush them when they inevitably retraced their steps.

Although if Han Xiao fled in the opposite direction he would be able to shake them off once and for all, an inner voice told him that he would regret it.

The quest itself was irrelevant. This was personal.

“Germinal!” spat Han Xiao hatefully.

…

The forest was pitch black at night, making it hard to even see one’s fingers. Wolves howled in the distance.

Han Xiao had been lying in wait for almost three hours.

Suddenly, the sound of engines approached. Han Xiao’s face twitched. Four headlights appeared in the distance.

“Finally…” mumbled Han Xiao calmly.

He put on one of the Night Owl Squad’s night vision goggles and spotted the outline of two cars.

He then cocked the rifle and held his breath to aim.

After eight seconds, he pulled the trigger.

In an instant, the sniper bullet travelled across hundreds of meters to strike a tyre on the front car, causing it to explode.

The car crashed into a tree.

“Do you even know how to drive‽” cursed a dazed No. 1.

“Leader, the tire exploded.”

“How can a low-pressure tyre explode‽”

One of the squad members knelt down to investigate the tyre.

“There’s a bullet lodged in here!” he suddenly exclaimed.

“Ambush!”

Suddenly, the agent closest to No. 1 was blown up in the head by a sniper bullet. His blood splattered all over No. 1.

“Get down!” he yelled.

The agents hurriedly dropped to the ground. A suffocating silence ensued. They were all terrified. Only No. 1 was able to contain his nerves and he immediately called for reinforcements.

The Test Subject Squad was pinned. None of them dared to move.

“Who is ambushing us?”

“No idea!”

“It’s so dark here. He must have night-vision goggles!”

“What do we do now?”

“Just lie in wait I think… until reinforcements arrive.”

No. 1 suddenly exploded. “Are you stupid‽ Won’t he escape then? The enemy is one, why are we so afraid of him? What will the Organization think of us?”

The faces of his teammates instantly changed.

“It’s just one enemy! We have cars, guns, and the advantage in numbers. How can we lose?” No. 1 added.

“Right…! We need to counterattack!”

“Ascertain the sniper’s position!”

One squad member plucked up the courage to reveal himself, hoping to bait the sniper into revealing his location. However, the sniper was faster than he could imagine. He was instantly shot. The force of the impact alone caused his body to fly back several metres.

No. 1 felt a chill run down his spine. Who is this godlike sniper‽

The agent’s death had not been in vain. One squad member was able to catch the muzzle flash of Han Xiao’s rifle.

“I’ve found him! 300 meters south!”

“Get in the car!”

Han Xiao could see them get up and run towards the other vehicle. He instantly understood their plan.

There were seven enemies displayed on the thermal imaging. They seemed to be betting on the slow firing rate of a sniper, and were willing to sacrifice one or two to get to the vehicle.

Han Xiao decided not to rush. He calmly fired two more shots to kill two more of them before the rest hopped onto the vehicle. The vehicle’s engine roared as it charged towards him.

All of a sudden, Han Xiao’s situation seemed to turn for the worse. However, he still appeared calm.

The best tactic, he mused, is also the most predictable one.

“Go to hell!” screamed No. 1 as he stepped on the pedal, not noticing several grenades hanging from mid-air in their path.

The vehicle came to a sudden stop as it ran into the rope that Han Xiao had tied between two trees. The two trees were almost uprooted by the force of the crash, and, the agents in the vehicle were tossed around like rag dolls.

Immediately after, the grenades exploded, setting the night ablaze. The bulletproof windshield was heavily cracked by the shrapnel.

It was a simple, yet devastating trap.

Han Xiao tossed the night-vision goggles away as soon as the grenades exploded. The fire from the blast gave him all the vision that he needed. He began to fire. The rifle was so powerful that each shot caused Han Xiao’s entire upper body to shudder in recoil.

Han Xiao was firing at the windscreen, and from the pattern that the windscreen cracked, it was clear that Han Xiao was aiming for the driver, No. 1.

No. 1 gritted his teeth and yanked the person next to him up to use as a shield. In the next instant, the windscreen shattered, and the poor guy’s brains blew up in his face.

“Get out of the car!”

The remaining agents hastily jumped out of the car. In his rage, No. 1 began to spray wildly with a submachine gun. His teammates blindly followed suit.

Han Xiao ceased shooting to reload.

Bullets whizzed past in Han Xiao’s surroundings, but Han Xiao knew that they did not know his exact location. They were simply panicking. He patiently waited for them to reload.

The agents soon realized that they had acted too rashly, but it was too late – Han Xiao now had the initiative.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

There was a strangely beautiful rhythm to Han Xiao’s shots.

As his comrades began to fall one after another, No. 1 started to tremble. As he wildly fired, he screamed, “Who the hell are you! Show yourself!”

His confidence had been completely and utterly destroyed.

Click click click…

He ran out of ammo once more.

“Show yourself!”

Suddenly, Han Xiao walked out into the clearing.

No. 1’s eyes widened in shock

“H-h-how can it be!”

Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected Han Xiao to counterattack. He had, in his hubris, thought for sure that Han Xiao was fleeing for dear life. Despite all the facts proving otherwise, he had stubbornly refused to believe that Han Xiao was better than him. Now, it finally dawned upon him.

Zero was way stronger than him.

His false sense of superiority was instantly replaced by jealousy.

“I am the better test subject! You are the failure! A failure!”

He pulled a handgun out and attempted to shoot, but Han Xiao was faster. A sniper bullet tore through No. 1’s entire right arm.

As No. 1 slowly turned to look at the right side of his body in horror.

Han Xiao fired again, this time at No. 1’s leg, causing him to collapse to the ground. He then took his time to reload before continuing to maim his remaining limbs.

No. 1 lay helplessly on the ground as he stared at Han Xiao hatefully.

“ZERO!” he screamed hoarsely, like a wounded beast.

“Keep quiet.”

Han Xiao strode forward to No. 1 to give him a vicious kick in his jaw.

“Wanna know why I left you for last? Because I don’t want you to enjoy a quick death.”

No. 1 was writhing on the ground, unable to reply. Blood was continuously spurting out of his wounds.

Suddenly, the communication device on his severed arm lit up. A holograph of the leader appeared in mid-air.

“Zero, that’s enough,” he said.

Han Xiao frowned.

“I am the leader of the Germinal Organization,” he introduced.

“Do you think you can truly escape from us? No matter where you go, the Germinal Organization will find you. However, I can give you a chance to live.”

“How?” asked Han Xiao plainly.

“Return to the organization obediently. I will allow you to retain your memories. You will be given a position you deserve,” answered the boss. He was truly fascinated by Han Xiao’s strength.

No. 1’s face grew livid at his leader’s words. How could he treat Zero so well after all the men that he had killed?

Han Xiao glanced at No. 1 and replied tauntingly, “You want to rope me in even after I’ve killed so many of your people?”

“A bunch of failures. Their deaths are not worth mourning,” the boss replied instantly.

No. 1 shuddered.

“What makes you think I want to work under you?”

“We are destined to accomplish greater things. Join us. What’s there to hesitate? Oh, I know. Is it because you are still unhappy with how we treated you before? Don’t be so petty, think of the bigger picture. Such things are trivial when compared to our ultimate goal.”

Han Xiao replied coldly, “I have no interest whatsoever in your ideology. You killed my friends, so you are my enemy. That is all.”

“If you refuse to join us, there will not be a place for you in this world!” threatened the boss.

“I will destroy you all,” Han Xiao declared.

It was the only solution.

The boss burst out in laughter.

“Destroy us? What do you think you are? You are just a small, pitiful ant that we can squash whenever we want. Did killing a few lowly grunts make you think that you are invincible now? Childish!”

“Wait and see then. The world is bigger than you can imagine.”

Han Xiao shook his head and raised his gun. He fired three shots aimed at No. 1’s heart.

The test subject squad no longer existed!

The boss’s mask could not conceal his fury.

“You’ll regret this,” he coldly warned before ending the transmission.

_____________________

You have killed the No. 1, the Valkyrie Experiment Test Subject, gaining 900 experience.

You have completed [Revenge], gaining 15,000 experience.

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Crack!

Suddenly, the bayonet rifle came apart.

The SWP sniper rifle that Han Xiao retrieved from the test subject squad had the prerequisite of the [Sniper] ability, so Han Xiao dismantled it to fix the bayonet rifle.

Han Xiao had gained a total of 20,000 experience tonight.

As the Germinal Organization would surely come for him, Han Xiao needed to find a hiding place. He was indeed still too weak to take them head-on. The wealth of information that he carried over from the game was his trump card.

In order to make good use of it, Han Xiao needed to seek the aid of a power as mighty as the Organization.

The Six Nations!

Stardragon, Maple, Theseus, Raylen, Hesla, and Ordina.

Since he was already in Stardragon, and they were the most peaceful of the six nations, there could be no better choice.

The next morning, the boss, Hila, and a group of staff arrived at the wreckage of the battle.

The boss snorted coldly at the sight of No. 1’s corpse.

“Useless trash.”

“All of them are dead,” reported a researcher after they gathered all the bodies.

The leader gazed thoughtfully at the mountain range in the distance.

“Issue a bounty under the name of the Organization. $1,000,000, dead or alive,” he suddenly ordered.

Hila and the rest of the group were shocked by his decision.

The Germinal Organization was the kingpin of the underworld, and they had not needed to issue a bounty for the past three years. Was it really necessary to do so for a lowly traitor?

“My leader, you seem to overrate him. Zero barely managed to escape by the skin of teeth. What threat can he pose to us?”

“Hmph. That bastard actually dared to declare war against us, so I will make him pay for his arrogance! I will crush him! If Zero is captured alive, use all available means to extract his secrets! If he is killed, then dissect his body to figure it out!”

“What about those people?” asked the researcher as he pointed towards the corpses.

The boss was about to order them to be disposed of when a thought crossed his mind.

“How’s the preparation for the super soldier project?” he asked.

“The basic theory has been perfected. We are about to proceed with cell and animal testing. We should be able to remove any side effects and carry out human experimentation in eight months—”

“Skip the testing. Proceed with human experimentation immediately,” interrupted the boss.

“Erm… the risks are too huge. Only Valkyrie test subjects can endure the procedure, and there aren’t many of them. Rushing things might be unproductive.”

“Experimentation can only create cannon fodder. Only vengeance can create true monsters,” he replied enigmatically.

“He is the perfect subject,” he added, pointing at No. 1. “Hatred will fuel him. No pain will stop him from his desire for revenge.”

“I see.”

The researcher nodded.

“Summon his soul,” the boss ordered Hila.

Hila exhaled deeply before raising her hands in the air. They began to glow in a grayish light as the surrounding temperature instantly dropped.

Suddenly, ghostly wailing resonated in their surroundings, and No. 1’s body seemed to respond to the cries.

A gray, misty cloud of fog began to materialize above No. 1 before flowing into his orifices.

The boss unfurled his jacket to retrieve a vial of crimson red fluid. Hila’s expression changed when she saw the red fluid. Her eyes flickered with killing intent for a moment. She had to force herself to surpress her emotions.

Aurora Reviving Drug.

An extremely powerful healing drug made from her sister’s bone marrow extract!

The boss poured the fluid over No. 1.

The fluid seeped into his body, and what followed next could only be called miraculous. No. 1 began to regain his color, and his wounds started to regenerate. The damage to his jaw was reversed, and limbs began to form out of his stumps.

No. 1 suddenly opened his eyes. His face was twisted in agony.

” Zero! ”

_____________________

You have unlocked reputation with the Germinal Organization faction!

Your reputation with the Germinal Organization has dropped by 1000!

Germinal Organization: Hated (Traitor)

_____________________

You have triggered the Class A quest, [A Seedling in the Dirt].

Quest Synopsis: Freedom is priceless, and you have risked your life to earn it, but your troubles are not over yet. The Organization has put a bounty on your head. You will be hunted down for the rest of your day. You may have escaped, but your prison has simply grown larger. In order to to obtain true freedom, there is only one path. You know what to do!

Quest Tip: This quest is an achievement quest. You will be rewarded based on the amount of damage and destruction you cause to the organization.

Current achievement rate: 0%

Note: Your achievement rate may not be fixed. Your achievement rate may drop. You may also choose to finish the quest at any time. If your achievement rate is less than 20%, you will fail the quest. If your achievement rate is higher than 20%, you will be rewarded based on your achievement tier.

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Generally speaking, Class B and higher quests were main quests related to key events. In Version 1.0, the key event on Planet Aquamarine was the clash between the Six Nations and the Germinal Organization, and players were allowed a choice of ally.

From Han Xiao’s memory, there had been quite a number of players who had allied with the Germinal Organization. This meant that he would have to face up against them eventually.

Although the Germinal Organization neither won nor lost, they did suffer huge losses. Han Xiao realized that he would have to watch out for competitors – there were many factions fighting against the Germinal Organization.

Han Xiao felt that having to contribute 20% of the total damage done was asking too much. Nevertheless, he accepted the quest without hesitation—there was no harm in trying.

This is the main quest line.

In Version 1.0, the events of Aquamarine were heavily centered around the Germinal Organization. Since Han Xiao would have get stronger on the planet anyway, he would definitely become involved in the war.

During the character creation process of Galaxy, the system would ask the player to input his preferences, such as the type of planet or class they would enjoy. From their answers, they would be sent to a planet that suited them. This was a key feature of the game and attracted many players. Some people simply liked exploring the universe and experiencing different kinds of civilizations. Aquamarine was a more ‘realistic’ science-fiction city-style planet modeled after Earth itself.

The truth was that Han Xiao could just hide himself in the wilderness and wait until the Germinal Organization weakened. However, while this ensured his safety, he wouldn’t be able to get stronger.

When the main plot of the planet unfolded, there would be an influx of quests and missions. With Han Xiao’s knowledge of the game gave him an unfair advantage.

3 days later, Han Xiao finally emerged from the forest. The forest was situated within Stardragon territory, which made the fact that the Germinal Organization dared to setup a base here quite surprising. Perhaps, the safest place is where the enemy least expects them to be.

Han Xiao walked for a while more before seeing railway tracks. He hopped onto a freight train that was on its way to deliver livestock to the Western Capital.

As the wilderness was fraught with danger, and war seemed like it would break out at any moment, most of the public roads connecting Stardragon’s cities had been blockaded. Resources were transported mainly by freight.

Stardragon’s cities were all enclosed in giant electric metal fences.

Two days later, Han Xiao could spot the giant enclosure through the windon in his carriage.

He swept aside the hens jumping around him to make space to stand up and take a better look.

Stardragon, Western Capital. Division 13, here I come!

“Cock-a-doodle-doo—”

Stardragon—one of the Six Nations. The majority of Stardragon’s population was comprised of yellow people, and its national symbol was a celestial dragon.

The bad blood between Stardragon and the Germinal Organization can be traced back to the Battle of Andrea, where the Germinal Organization had colluded with other enemies of Stardragon to launch large-scale assaults on its cities during the crucial period of the war. Casualties numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and Stardragon had been forced to recall all its forces. Back then, it had severely weakened their status as one of the Six Nations.

All of Stardragon’s cities were barricaded by great electric fences of barbed wire, and the only way to enter any city was through a main gate.

The freight train arrived at the open-air train station connected to the entrance of the city. The area was like a military base – there were bunkers and watchtowers guarded by the army. Troops were stationed in every corner.

Over a thousand wanderers alighted onto to the station square. They began to queue up for the inspection. Only those confirmed not to possess weaponry or carry infectious diseases were permitted to enter.

The Six Nations all welcomed wanderers. The war had caused a lack of manpower and talent.

Han Xiao needed to find a way to evade inspection. The Germinal Organization had offered a bounty for him, so things could go awry if he were to be recognized. While his aim was to get in touch with Division 13, he could not risk being exposed before then.

Fortunately, there existed a way.

Back in the game, players that were wanted by a country simply had to pay a smuggler NPC a fee to be sneaked in.

There was a very inconspicuous man in a corner of the station. He was neither queuing up to enter, nor seemed to be waiting for anything in particular.

This man was the ringleader of the smuggling business, and normally, he would only serve people who were trusted in their network.

Suddenly, he noticed a frail-looking man coming up to him. It was none other than Han Xiao.

“Is it safe?” he asked.

The ringleader looked up at Han Xiao. It was a face he did not recognize.

“Safe?” the ringleader played dumb.

“I’ll pay with these – enough?”

Han Xiao tossed his backpack to the ringleader. He opened the bag up to take a look inside.

Holy shit! So many guns! Which syndicate is this young master the boss of?

As guns were prohibited in the western capital, Han Xiao had to dispose of them one way or the other.

“Enough, definitely enough.”

“Where did you learn about my business?” he curiously asked.

“That’s none of your business.”

The ringleader took no offence to Han Xiao. He knew that he had been too inquisitive in his excitement. He got up and asked Han Xiao to follow.

Han Xiao was led to a van parked outside the station. There were already a few passengers on board, and when he arrived, he became the center of attention. Han Xiao found a spot and sat down quietly.

The windows of the van were plastered with black tape. The van would bring them to a secret military side-entrance. As long as the price was right, the officer in charge would turn a blind eye.

A short young man was sitting beside Han Xiao. Bored, and seeing that Han Xiao seemed like an easygoing person, the young man spoke to him.

“Little brother, your first time to the western capital?”

Han Xiao glanced at him and replied, “Yeah, it is. How should I address you?”

“Ma Jie, you?”

“Han Xiao.”

“Hannie, since it’s your first time to the Western Capital, I shall introduce you to the city. The Western Capital is divided into eight districts. District 1 is the seat of the government, and where the officials reside. No one is allowed to enter there. The other seven districts each have their own attractions, but they are all secretly controlled by big shots in the underworld. Remember, never offend any of them, or else you might lose your life.”

Han Xiao sighed inwardly. The underworld referred to illegal operations like drugs, prostitution, trafficking, and mercenaries. These ‘big shots’ that Ma Jie mentioned were actually just small-time hoodlums. Ma Jie was clearly trying to brag.

“What about the army?” asked Han Xiao.

“Heh, what can they do? Do you expect them to raid the districts? My cousin is the right-hand man of one of the bosses in the underworld. I came here to seek—cough—help him,” boasted Ma Jie.

“Wow, you’re so cool,” replied Han Xiao.

Being praised sent Ma Jie over the moon.

“Of course! My cousin is quite the figure in western capital. Have you ever heard of his great name, The Leopard? Oh, right, it’s your first time here. Are you here to seek refuge with relatives?”

“No, I’ve come to find a job and settle down,” Han Xiao chose a random answer.

“What do you say—wanna come with me? Follow my brother and you will have a bright future!”

Ma Jie suddenly became animated.

Han Xiao rejected his offer, but Ma Jie was not easily dissuaded.

“Let me tell you what ordinary life is like in the city. Two words – poverty and sadness! Do you want to eat spoilt food everyday? The Six Nations are just putting on a show to welcome wanderers like you. The truth is that they could hardly give a damn about you! If you follow me, I can guarantee that you’ll be fed well for the rest of your life!”

“No thanks.”

Han Xiao’s repeated refusals clearly upset Ma Jie.

“Fool! You’ll regret this. Don’t come crying to me in the future.”

Han Xiao ignored the idiot and turned away. Ma Jie glared at him.

…

A while later, the van stopped in front of what seemed to be a closed tunnel.

There was an officer waiting for them on the other side of the fence in the tunnel. He opened the passageway to let them in upon receiving payment from the ringleader.

“Follow the officer, he will bring you to the outskirts of the city.”

The officer silently led them through the compound. When they finally stepped out into the sun, they were greeted by a line of skyscrapers in the distance.

As the group scattered, Ma Jie glared at Han Xiao one more time before going on his way.

As Han Xiao walked on the streets, he noticed that his tattered clothes were gaining a lot of attention. Without any money to quench his thirst, he had to look for a public water dispensary. All he had to his name was a seven-day stench.

Of course, none of it actually posed a problem to him.

…

Half an hour later, Han Xiao emerged from a shopping mall dressed in a white shirt and black pants. There was a cigarette in his mouth.

_____________________

You have unlocked a new ability: Lv. 1 [Steal]!

[Steal]: Increases your success rate when stealing

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In his previous life, many real life skills had practical use in the game. For example, someone who had a military background would have an easier time grasping shooting-related abilities in the game.

As the saying goes, one can never learn too many tricks. Han Xiao only acquired skills in thievery as a means of self-defense against thieves…

Me, a thief? Hey hey, don’t accuse me of stealing if you don’t have proof! I, the venerable Han, am a law-abiding, state-loving citizen. Back in secondary school and high school, I was always the model student! I was in the top 3 every year! People always praised me for being a righteous young man, plus I’ve never even peeked on a girl before, much less steal!

As for now— cough, cough —I’m just borrowing some money from a kindred soul out of desperation. You feel me bro?

Now that Han Xiao had escaped from the Germinal Organization, he no longer had access to the resources that he would need to become stronger. Joining the Six Nations would solve this problem.

Han Xiao already had a plan in mind.

In Galaxy, there was known to be a secret encounter hidden in the Western Capital.

Han Xiao arrived at the gates of a workshop concealed inside an inconspicuous alley. The workshop was nameless, but it had a spanner for a logo.

The secret encounter will be mine in this life!

There was a chess table set up at the entrance of the workshop. Two elderly men were currently engaged in a game.

Their appearances were in stark contrast to one another. The shorter elderly man was bearded and had long, unkempt hair, while the taller old man was prim and proper. Both of them were staring at the chess board intently.

Han Xiao noticed that the tall old man had a missing arm.

Both of them paid little heed to Han Xiao as he stepped into the workshop.

Han Xiao took a look at the chess board. They seemed to be playing playing an intense game of Go.

Suddenly, Han Xiao realized that it was not Go at all! It was Five in a Row!

What the hell are you guys looking so serious for‽

A woman appeared from within the workshop. “Do you need something repaired?”

She had a fair complexion, rosy cheeks, and was around 1.65m tall. Her hair was clipped behind with a black pin, and she was wearing a black vest on top of denim shorts. Although Han Xiao wouldn’t go so far as to call her a stunning beauty, she did have an extremely pleasant-looking face. She was very much the proverbial girl-next-door who had gentle eyes and a warm smile. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties—Han Xiao’s personal preference.

Women at twenty can be compared to peaches—good to look at but not yet ripe.

Women at thirty, on the other hand, are like ripe grapes.

Of course, these things are always a matter of taste.

As for women at forty…

Huh, what about fifty?

Fifty-year-old women cannot be described as fruits anymore! They are potatoes!

“May I know if this place needs an apprentice?” Han Xiao asked.

For some reason, the woman was overjoyed to hear his words. She hastily grabbed Han Xiao’s eblow and pulled him in, as though afraid that he would change his mind.

“Come in, quickly! You might catch a cold.”

Han Xiao looked up at the blazing sun and wondered, Is catching a cold the dialect here for heat stroke?

The workshop was largely coloured in black and white, and there was a second floor.

The first floor was the working area, and it was a fairly spacious area. There were a number of vehicle platforms and workbenches equipped with various tools and machinery. Han Xiao could tell from the blemishes on the workbenches that they were relatively old. There was also quite a number of metal shelves lined up against the wall that were stacked with all sorts of metals and spare parts.

“My name is Lu Qian. I’m the boss here. You can call me Sister Qian,” introduced the woman.

“Sister Qian,” Han Xiao greeted. He then inquired, “I wish to take up apprenticeship here. Are there any requirements?”

“Tell me your situation,” replied Lu Qian. Her first impression of Han Xiao was quite favorable. She particularly liked the dead look in his eyes—they made Han Xiao look like he was a bum.

He will probably be content with a low wage, she thought to herself.

“I come from afar. My name is Han Xiao. I’m 21 years old, and I have some basic mechanic skills. You can call me Technician Han.”

Technician Han? A puzzled look appeared on Lu Qian’s face.

“From afar… meaning you’re not a student of the Western Capital School?”

The Western Capital School was an elite school that only a select few could enroll in. It followed a special syllabus based on the knowledge given to Aquamarine by the galactic civilization. There, students were taught Pugilist and Mechanic knowledge. Many of its graduates went on to become important figures in Stardragon.

However, as less than 1 in 10,000 people possessed superpowers, having guidance did not make it easier to awaken them.

“I’ve only learnt some basic Mechanic theory,” Han Xiao replied humbly.

“That’s a pity…” bemoaned Lu Qian.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” she hastily added.

“It’s fine.”

“Anyway, I still need to test you. I do need a helper, but you will have to meet my criteria first.”

Lu Qian went to fetch a faulty household appliance back to test Han Xiao. Before Han Xiao could begin, the shorter old man at the chess board suddenly spoke. “Kid, why did you come here?”

Lu Qian frowned in puzzlement. Wasn’t it just to find work?

Han Xiao looked at the old man and replied, “I’m just looking for a job.”

For some reason, his reply upset the old man, and he flipped the chessboard.

“I am the owner of this shop. Pass my test, and I will allow you to stay.”

“Oi, Old Man Lu, you’re being a sore loser again,” erupted the tall old man.

“I have something important to do,” stated Old Man Lu matter-of-factly.

“Shameless,” replied the tall old man exasperatedly.

Stardragon Strategic Defense Division, also known as Division 13.

Han Xiao’s mind was racing.

Old Man Lu was none other than the key character in the secret questline, and Han Xiao had come here to meet him.

However, what Han Xiao had not expected was running into the tall old man here. This old man was an important figure in Stardragon, and Han Xiao knew that there was no point in trying to hide his identity from him.

Han Xiao’s original plan had been to gain Division 13’s trust before revealing himself. He intended to do so by feeding them with anonymous intel on the Germinal Organization. However, that was no longer possible.

To have to reveal himself to Division 13 so soon had certainly not been a part of Han Xiao’s calculations, but Han Xiao was not rigid in his thinking.

Since remaining hidden was no longer an option, he might as well reveal himself and demonstrate his value to them. Like they say, the enemy of an enemy is a friend; Han Xiao and Stardragon shared common ground.

Fortunately, he was now in the city; if he had been exposed before entering, it would have put himself in an unfavorable position to negotiate.

Furthermore, the unexpected turn of events might prove to be a good thing instead. The tall old man was extremely influential, so gaining his trust would give him quite the head start.

“What test?” he asked Old Man Lu in response.

Old Man Lu looked around as he tried to come up with something. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Pointing towards the tall old man’s missing arm, he said, “Make him a prosthetic limb. If it satisfies him, you pass.”

“Why drag me into this?” The tall old man was confused, but he quickly understood Old Man Lu’s intentions from his subtle winks.

“Grandpa, you’re too much! What if you scare him away? Every day, all you do is drink, play chess, and go for strolls. When was the last time you actually bothered to help out with the business? Can’t I even get a helper?”

Lu Qian was disgruntled, but her words fell on deaf ears. Old Man Lu ignored her as he looked at Han Xiao for a reply.

For some reason though, Han Xiao seemed amused.

“Are you sure you want me to make a prosthetic arm that satisfies him?” he asked to clarify.

“If you’re scared then leave!”

“I accept,” Han Xiao happily agreed to the task.

He still had the [Bionic Arm] blueprints that sat gathering dust in his inventory! Not only was Old Man Lu’s request too simple for Han Xiao, it even presented him with the opportunity to curry favor with the tall old man! For some reason, everything seemed to be going well for Han Xiao, as though someone was looking out for him.

“You only have three hours; I don’t have the time to wait an entire day,” Old Man Lu snorted.

“Grandpa!” Lu Qian exclaimed in protest.

Creating a bionic limb was not a straightforward task. Measurements first had to be taken, followed by designing, and lastly crafting. Designing alone would take hours, and while using a workbench would speed up much of the crafting process, that would still take another two hours! It was completely unfair!

However, Han Xiao, was not flustered at all. He whipped out a measuring tape and asked the tall old man politely, “Senior, may I?”

The tall old man removed his outerwear without fuss. He observed Han Xiao thoughtfully as his measurements were taken. To remain calm and confident despite being pressed so was praiseworthy, he thought.

‘But why would the Germinal Organization lay a million dollar bounty on him?’

Yes, the tall old man indeed recognized Han Xiao. The Germinal Organization’s issuing of a bounty had caused a huge commotion in the underworld and this resulted in Han Xiao’s face becoming well known. Such news did not escape his ears.

‘Looks like there’s some corrupt guards again,’ he concluded from Han Xiao’s presence here in the city.

‘Why did Han Xiao come to the Western Capital?

‘Does he pose a threat to Stardragon?’

These were the questions on the tall old man’s mind. He decided to continue observing Han Xiao for now.

While Old Man Lu did not know anything about the infamous Zero, he had his reason for wanting to chase Han Xiao away. A seasoned veteran himself, he was able to sense that Han Xiao had killed before. He simply wanted to avoid trouble where he could.

“Looks like Old Lu is leaving it to me,” thought the tall old man as the pair exchanged glances.

As soon as Han Xiao finished taking measurements, Lu Qian offered him her help.

“Tell me your concept. We can draw up the plans together to save time.”

“No need, I already have the perfect design,” declined Han Xiao unexpectedly.

“Only two minutes?”

Lu Qian’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

“Your bragging might even reach the moon!”

Old Man Lu burst out in laughter. To come up with a complete blueprint in just two minutes was an impossible task even for him, what more a kid like Han Xiao?

Han Xiao passed a list of the materials and tools he needed to Lu Qian, who swiftly went to fetch everything. However, she did not hold much hope for Han Xiao as the test was simply absurd and unfair.

Han Xiao started to use the pressing machine to shape metals into shapes and parts. He planned to use an aluminum alloy as the core material of the arm as aluminum alloys were light, yet sturdy, but also easy to shape. Having parts like screws, rivets, and chains readily provided saved him a lot of time.

[Basic Machinery Affinity] gave Han Xiao keen intuition for the composition of machines. For a second, it seemed to him like the parts themselves came to life, as though they were excited at the prospect of being assembled into a machine. A mechanic’s affinity and skills with machines was extremely important. Each level in [Basic Machinery Affinity] improved production quantity as well as crafting speed by 1%.

A top-class bionic limb could be operated simply by thought, and would be functionally indiscernible from a real limb. The prosthetic arm of the Winter Soldier was a strengthened version of such a limb. However, the installation of such a prosthetic would require surgery, as well as the ‘Control’ talents of [Basic Electromagnetism] and [Nerve Integration].

With cybernetics, it was possible to replace any part of the body, except the brain, with machines to turn a person into a cyborg that relies not on physical stamina and bio-energy, but modular upgrades and replacements instead. Although a cyborg wouldn’t need to eat or drink to survive, and could live much longer than a normal human, the loss of one’s human senses would gradually make a cyborg susceptible to manipulation and eventually cause them to lose their sense of self. While this could be prevented by implementing thought programming and logic parameters to immunize one against external influences, they would then lose their freedom of thought instead. More advanced civilizations used this method to produce cannon fodder.

A voice-controlled prosthetic could also be made with the ‘Control’ talent, [Basic Acoustics]. Mechanics were a multi-layered class that was able to utilize all sorts of knowledge to create different versions of tools for the same purpose.

Presently, though, Han Xiao was not that far advanced as a mechanic, and his concept was very simple; he was using the Lightweight Mechanical Arm as a model for his prosthetic. He planned to incorporate its dynamics and chains into his prosthetic for realistic movement. Unlike the Lightweight Mechanical Arm, however, it would run on clean batteries instead of smoke-causing fuel.

Old Man Lu watched Han Xiao as he enjoyed a bottle of beer. He couldn’t wait to see him make a fool of himself.

As Han Xiao began to weld and assemble the parts he created, the prosthetic arm began to take shape. The others were surprised by the fact that Han Xiao did not create any excess parts. He had been thoroughly efficient from the start, which proved that he had actually planned everything out.

“My god, he won’t actually succeed, will he?” muttered Old Man Lu, causing Lu Qian to glare at him. What a sly grandpa!

Seeing them look so amazed almost caused Han Xiao to burst out in laughter. How could he possibly fail when he already had the blueprint in his memory?

_____________________

You have created [Bionic Arm – Left (Mechanical Version)], giving you 2000 exp!

[Bionic Arm – Left (Mechanical Version)]

Special Item

A very realistic prosthetic created using the principles of machine dynamics and suspension. Adjustable to suit the user’s needs, it is soft, yet extremely durable!

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The polished metallic prosthetic took Han Xiao a total of 2 hours and 33 minutes to make. One look at its structure and everyone present could tell that it was an extremely functional prosthetic.

Everyone was shocked!

He really made it!

As Lu Qian covered her mouth in disbelief, a single thought came to her mind.I’ve struck gold!

“This prosthetic will look realistic if you cover it with—”

“Save the bullshit, let’s test it now,” interrupted Old Man Lu as he swallowed his saliva. Although Han Xiao had truly exceeded his expectations, his mind was still unchanged.

The tall old man rolled his eyes at Old Man Lu and picked the prosthetic up to examine it. He instantly fell in love with it. It fit onto his stump extremely comfortably, unlike other prosthetics that had nonadjustable, rigid attachments. The reason that he did not like to wear a prosthetic arm was that they always got in the way of his movement. However, Han Xiao’s creation did not give him this problem. It felt so realistic that when he moved it, it felt like he had grown back an arm! The elastic suspension enabled him to effortlessly make simple movements.

Perfection!

This was the only word that could describe how he felt about it.

“What do you think? Satisfactory?” asked Old Man Lu coolly as he sipped on his beer.

Lu Qian looked anxiously at the tall old man.

The tall old man found himself in a tight spot. Should he help his friend? Or should he say his true feelings? Which was more important?

“This thing is excellent. I’m satisfied!”

Old Man Lu spat out his beer and glared at the tall old man as he coughed continuously.

Weren’t we allies‽ We had a plan!

“Since you like it, you can have it.” Han Xiao was not surprised at all.

The tall old man nodded his head and replied, “I will remember this favor.”

Old Man Lu was flabbergasted. The arm was made with my materials! Did you ask for my permission‽

“Then, can I stay?” Han Xiao turned to Old Man Lu and asked, his lips curling.

Old Man Lu’s shock immediately turned into embarrassment. As he turned around to head upstairs, he reluctantly replied, “Whatever, if you want to stay, then stay. Let’s see how long you’ll last.”

Lu Qian shook her fists in celebration.

The tall old man smiled at Han Xiao before leaving the workshop. After walking out of the alley, he entered a black sedan car that had been waiting for him.

The chauffeur respectfully passed a mobile phone to him. As the tall old man picked up the phone, his entire demeanor completely changed. He now looked extremely stern, a totally different person from the genial old man from before.

“The Germinal Organization fugitive has snuck into the Western Capital. These are the coordinates…” he spoke in a deep voice. “Have the intelligence department monitor him for now. I have come into contact with the target, and will slowly find out his intentions. Unless necessary, do not act.”

Deserters of the Germinal Organization were highly valued by the Six Nations as they sometimes held valuable information. Unfortunately, most of the deserters were usually small fry. Han Xiao, on the other hand, was the first person to have a bounty issued for on him; it followed that it was highly likely that he possessed crucial information.

In the workshop, Han Xiao turned his eyes back from where the tall old man had left.

His performance should have let the tall old man know that he was not hostile, and laid the groundwork for a better relationship.

There were three things for Han Xiao to gain from coming to the workshop. The first was that Old Man Lu kept a very comprehensive collection of Mechanic-related basic knowledge.

The second was that this workshop was a good place to hide from the Germinal Organization. While the Germinal Organization had spies across the Six Nations, they did not know every single nook and cranny. This workshop was one of the few places that they were not aware of. And even if they found it, there was Old Man Lu. Old Man Lu was far stronger than the current Hila. Although he appeared like some carefree good-for-nothing, he was actually one of the few Class-D superhumans on the planet. On beginner planets in Version 1.0, the strongest superhumans were only Class-C.

There was a lot of discussion regarding why Mechanics were a superhuman class, such as: ‘If Mechanics were limited to a normal human’s standards, it would restrict their inventions by over 90%’, and ‘Only a superhuman can use some of the stronger machines they make.’ At higher levels, there were stricter requirements for using the machines that Mechanics made. Some of them were even not usable by the other four classes, but only by Mechanics.

Mechanics were not all about big guns and giant robots! A high level mechanic could specialize in one of many things. They might prefer to wield swords, specialize in assassination, or even pilot mobile suits! These were but a few of the endless possibilities that the class had to offer.

The official information described the class as such: “Masters of combat machinery and compaction. Well balanced.”

After learning [Compression Technology] and [Spatial Technology], mechanics would be able to disassemble and compress huge machinery into small capsules that they could activate whenever they wanted to reassemble them instantaneously!

After learning certain skills like [Rapid Assembly], Mechanics with a large amount of energy would be able to create machines on the fly without the need for tools or equipment. All they needed was sufficient energy and necessary materials, and they would be able to bypass the creation process and instantaneously create whatever they needed.

Player inventories were weight-realistic, and with these abilities, mechanics were the only class—apart from Mages and telekinetic ESPers—to be able to disregard weight constraints.

The third reason that Han Xiao had come to the workshop was the most important one, for the secret story line! Its rewards were some blueprints of early level godly equipment!

In the future, Old Man Lu would leave the workshop and leave behind a digital safe that contained these blueprints. He would instruct Lu Qian to pass it to her father, Lu Cheng, who was a warlord amongst the wanderers. He and his father, Old Man Lu, were always on bad terms.

Back in the game, a player managed to complete the tedious quest line and obtain the password to the safe. He then had to painstakingly search for the necessary materials to craft those equipment. However, it all proved worth it. With just that equipment, he was able to dominate the PVP arena and set the highest record of 38 continuous victories!

While all that time and effort was certainly worth it for that player, Han Xiao didn’t have to go through the entire quest line as he already knew the password!

Although the secret quest line was a competitive quest, and only one person could complete it, other players that attempted it also learnt the password to the safe. Since it was not a big deal, the password was posted alongside information to the quest line in various forums.

Still, the story line only occurred after release, so there was still plenty of time before then. Han Xiao intended to foster a good relationship with them first.

For the godly equipment!

“I’ll explain your apprenticeship. Your meals and accommodation will be provided for; there is an unused room on the second floor. Your job scope will consist of helping out with maintenance work, as well as orders. I’ll pay you $1000 a month, is that fine?”

Lu Qian looked at Han Xiao nervously. She knew that he was skilled, but she truly did not have the money to offer him a higher salary.

“I accept!” said Han Xiao without hesitation, at which she rejoiced.

On the second floor was a full apartment complete with a living room, a kitchen, and several bedrooms.

Lu Qian brought Han Xiao to his bedroom. It was furnished simply with a wooden bed, a wardrobe, a book shelf, and a small work space.

“This is now your room,” said Lu Qian happily as she passed the key to Han Xiao and began to dust the area.

She really couldn’t be any happier. A thousand dollars was a very small amount of money, not even enough for an average person’s monthly meal expenses! Han Xiao was a steal!

I must treat this kid well so he won’t run away! she thought to herself.

Han Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Shouldn’t the job applicant be the nervous one, instead of the boss?

Lu Qian left after tidying up the room.

Han Xiao climbed onto the bed and closed his eyes. Now, he had to wait for Division 13 to approach him.

“I am not strong enough yet.”

Han Xiao understood that he couldn’t just rely on Stardragon to deal with the Germinal Organization. He had to become much stronger in order to be able to take matters into his own hands. In any case, for now, he also had to be strong enough to gain Division 13’s special attention.

Since there were neither quests to do nor monsters to hunt, the only way to get stronger now was through crafting. Han Xiao would need money to make machines, so he planned to find some way to make extra income. The city provided him with many opportunities. His long journey had only just begun.

With only six months left to launch, he had to treasure the remaining time.

After resting for a while, Han Xiao returned downstairs. Lu Qian was working on a household appliance at the workbench. Her denim shorts truly accentuated her perky curves, and Han Xiao couldn’t help but steal glances at those slender, long legs of hers.

“The orders are in the drawer,” she said to Han Xiao as she wiped her sweat with a towel.

The workshop didn’t see much business and most of the orders were advance orders. Han Xiao picked out a few easy ones and began working.

At 7 PM, they closed for the day.

Lu Qian changed into a comfy white dress and let her hair down, giving her the air of a kind, beautiful sister. There were patches sewn onto her dress, implying that they weren’t doing so well financially. Han Xiao wondered if the reason she wore so little during work was if she was saving fabric.

Old Man Lu finally showed his face for dinner.

“Let’s eat.”

Old Man Lu with his long and, messy hair certainly did not seem the type of person to do household chores. Their meals were, indeed, always prepared by Lu Qian.

Han Xiao picked up a piece of char siu ¹ with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth. It was fatty but not oily, and was extremely tasteful. Han Xiao was visibly delighted.

“Delicious, right?” smiled Lu Qian in glee.

Now this—this is proper food! What the hell have I been eating for the past 6 months?

“There’s still a lot, so eat slowly,” she added, pleased by the sight of his voracious appetite.

As they continued eating, Old Man Lu suddenly asked, “Who exactly are you?”

Han Xiao, stopping his chopsticks in mid-air, replied, “I’m just an ordinary person.”

“Do you think you can deceive me with such a blatant lie, kid? Tell me the truth,” the old man snorted.

Han Xiao’s eye twitched.

“And what if I don’t want to?”

“Don’t want to?”

Suddenly, Old Man Lu tilted his head back as he began to release a domineering aura of strange, wild melancholy that threatened to engulf Han Xiao.

A look of seriousness appeared on Han Xiao’s face. Twisting, he leapt backwards five meters, raising his arms in a cross-shaped guard to defend himself.

Old Man Lu’s eyes narrowed.

“I have a skill that can kill the target’s very soul in an instant. Do you want to test it?” he asked.

“Does such a godly skill really exist?” Han Xiao’s face began to pale.

“The level of strength I have attained cannot be comprehended by the likes of you!” Old Man Lu snorted in reply.

Suddenly, a black, stormy cloud arose from behind Lu Qian. Lightning crackled and thunder roared. Wearing the same usual smile that she always displayed, she tapped the table with her chopsticks and ordered plainly, “Sit down and eat.”

The duo instantly returned to their original positions and continued eating, as though nothing had happened at all.

The Western Capital was vast, comprising of eight districts and three citadels interconnected by military roads.

District 1 was the central district and the Western Capital’s seat of government. Regular citizens were not allowed inside.

Although the Six Nations were united against the Germinal Organization, they still remained competitive with one another. After all, alliances were only temporary. The assassination of important figures occurred frequently amongst the Six Nations, and although they would always blame these incidents on the Germinal Organization or other dangerous individuals, the governments knew that 70% of them were each other’s doing.

The Germinal Organization, the wanderer’s army, intelligence agencies and brokers, illegal arms dealers, individual criminals, mercenary assassins, hackers, and other kinds of shady groups comprised the planet’s underworld.

Dragonhorn Tower was the central building of the government, where the top brass operated from. Its walls were reputed to be strong enough to repel intercontinental missiles.

The headquarters of a secret department was situated below Dragonhorn Tower.

Beneath Dragonhorn Tower, at an undisclosed basement level was the Stardragon Strategic Defense Division.

Dozens of screens hung from the wall, displaying countless data and information. Intelligence agents typed away at their keyboards while even more bustled around. This place was the central network of the government, where information was filtered and channeled.

Division 13 served not only as Stardragon’s ears and eyes, but also as a hidden knife.

“Reporting: ‘Zero’ has been located.”

A gentle-looking bespectacled female secretary hastily knocked open the office door of the department’s director. A stern-faced man was seated behind the desk. Drool could be seen on the corner of his mouth.

“Speak,” he said in a low voice.

“Director, were you secretly taking a nap again?” The bespectacled secretary squinted at him.

“Cut the crap!” The intelligence director glared back. “Talk.”

“Zero is currently hiding in a machinery maintenance shop in district 7.”

The director swiveled away from his secretary and she could hear him sigh in contemplation with his back faced towards her. After a moment, he turned around to face her again and said, “The higher-ups want to adopt a friendly approach.”

“You just turned back to wipe your drool, right?”

“I really regret promoting you…”

The secretary pushed her glasses up and ignored him. “How exactly should we proceed?”

“Since Zero came to the Western Capital alone, he must want to cooperate… Activate protection protocol immediately. We must not let Germinal’s agents learn of his presence here. Have the hackers intercept any news of his trail and prevent leaks. Also, send an undercover agent to check him out; he might just be a spy they sent. Get confirmation before making direct contact.”

“A traitor worth a one million dollar bounty. There are two possibilities: either he possesses important information, or he possesses great power. For now, we are unable to ascertain how dangerous he might be, so proceed with utmost caution. I don’t want a repeat of what happened with Black Spider. Two streets bombed yet we failed to apprehend him. I was scolded for two whole hours by the minister as a result of that.”

As the workshop wasn’t that busy, Han Xiao had quite a lot of free time to look for the extra income he needed.

Kero Junkyard: the biggest disposal ground in District 7. Here, endless piles of trash were sorted out everyday.

This place fell under the territory of an underworld boss known as Big Raccoon. Where there is light, there will be shadows—such is society—and this holds all the more true in times of chaos.

Although the Western Capital was the main capital of Stardragon, it was certainly not a holy sanctuary for the law-abiding. It was infiltrated with spies from other nations, and plagued by criminal networks and illegal businesses. Small-time bosses like Big Raccoon may have been infamous, but they were certainly not the key players.

As Han Xiao entered the junkyard with a dust mask on, he was stopped by a few vicious-looking thugs.

“Kid, you’re in the wrong neighborhood.”

A bald, muscular thug blocked Han Xiao’s path as he stared him down. To them, Han Xiao, with his small frame, looked like an easy target to bully.

Han Xiao, unfazed, spoke. “I want to see Raccoon.”

The thugs instantly burst out in laughter.

“We don’t have time to play with you, kid. Run home to mummy, or I’ll break your legs,” threatened the bald thug.

“Is that what Raccoon teaches his dogs to say?”

“What did you say?” The bald thug was enraged. He began to grab Han Xiao by the collar.

Han Xiao looked back at the thug calmly as he squeezed his wrist.

The pain caused the thug to let go of his grip, and when he looked at his wrist, he found that there were already bruise marks on them.

“Friend, which gang are you from?” The bald thug’s expression had changed to one of caution.

Suddenly, he paused to listen to his receiver and stepped away from Han Xiao’s path, saying, “The boss wants to see you.”

Han Xiao followed the bald thug and was brought to a resting area inside the junkyard where a thin man sat cross-legged on a sofa as he enjoyed a glass of red wine. From his appearance alone it was hard to believe that this man was the infamous Raccoon who ruled the District 7 underworld.

“I heard that you want to see me. What’s your name?” he casually asked.

“Technician Han,” answered Han Xiao.

The Raccoon sneered.

“You should know what will happen to you if you’re just wasting my time.”

The reason why he had agreed to letting Han Xiao in was that he was curious to see what business a snotty-looking brat had with him.

Suddenly, Han Xiao reached out to steal the bald thug’s gun. The bald thug felt a tug at his waist and turned around, but it was too late.

The grunts behind Raccoon hastily drew their guns.

“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked nervously. The bald thug was one of his most trusted subordinates, and he was strong enough to take on ten people at the same time. Yet, he wasn’t able to react to Han Xiao’s speed! Who the hell is this kid?

Unexpectedly, Han Xiao began to disassemble the gun, but it wasn’t a simple disassembly. The gun unraveled almost instantaneously, as if Han Xiao were performing some kind of magic; the disassembled parts fell and scattered onto the floor.

“Firearms are a sure-profit. I can help you manufacture them in exchange for a little bit of compensation.”

This kid can make guns!

Firearms were hot in demand in the black market. Using a gun and making a gun were two completely separate concepts. Mechanics who knew how to create guns were rare and highly esteemed. Even though Raccoon was the leader of a gang, they were just small-time hoodlums. To be able to find a mechanic willing to make guns for them was inconceivable; yet, here Han Xiao was. ‘This is my chance!’ thought Raccoon.

“What arrangements do you have in mind?”

“I will make a list of materials and parts for you to gather. Manufacturing and assembly will all be done by me. I’ll come here to work for two hours every morning. I want $1500 per gun, and freedom to take anything I want from this junkyard.”

Han Xiao had already thoroughly analyzed the Germinal Organization’s guns. He was now able to easily make simple guns.

“Since I’m providing the materials, $1000,” negotiated Raccoon.

Han Xiao instantly turned around and began to walk away.

This caused Raccoon to become flustered. He had only been trying to test out Han Xiao, and did not expect such a big reaction.

“Wait wait wait—we’ll follow your charges,” he hastily said.

One handgun was worth $3,000 to $4,000 on the black market. Han Xiao’s asking fee was still quite reasonable.

“Get a workbench ready, along with the materials. I will come from tomorrow onwards. I’ll go check the junkyard out now.”

A skilled craftsman always retained the power to dictate his terms. Han Xiao knew full well his own value. Furthermore, his true strength and identity was a mystery to them. This gave him the complete upper hand.

…

Han Xiao salvaged quite a number of parts from the junkyard before leaving. As he left, he noticed that someone was following him. Clearly, Raccoon was trying to find out more information about him. However, for Han Xiao, shaking him off the thug was an easy task.

Division 13 will learn of my mechanic skills… thought Han Xiao to himself. The fact that he was working with Raccoon would definitely be found out by them. In any case, it was a way to demonstrate his abilities to them, plus he also needed the opportunity to craft machinery for experience.

The reason he had chosen Raccoon was due to the junkyard’s proximity.

…

When he returned to the workshop, Lu Qian questioned his whereabouts.

“I went to the junkyard,” said Han Xiao, pointing to the big bag of spare parts in his hand.

“The junkyard? That place is not safe. Don’t go there in the future.”

Lu Qian wasn’t really concerned with what Han Xiao did in his free time as long as his did his job right. In fact, she had a soft spot for people who did not demand high pay.

Han Xiao put the spare parts aside and summoned the interface. He still had a lot of unused talent points, and he decided he would dump all of them into the two unlocked ‘Arms’ talents.

This workshop was a treasure trove of Mechanic knowledge. It was one of the best places to level up as a mechanic. Han Xiao went to look for Old Man Lu to borrow some of his books. He found him cooped up in his room as he expected.

“I wish to borrow some Mechanic knowledge books.”

“Go away, you! There’s not a single book for you here.”

“Don’t be so petty! Think of it as investing into a promising young man and nurturing him.”

“…It seems like you are more thick-skinned than me. However, I simply don’t want to lend you my books. What can you do about it?”

What, indeed, could Han Xiao do about it?

…

The following day, Lu Qian entered Old Man Lu’s room with a spare key and stole some books for Han Xiao. Old Man Lu was infuriated.

“Why do I have such a disloyal granddaughter‽

“Just you wait! I will make you leave this workshop!”

…

In Galaxy, each player’s advancement mission was not always the same. Han Xiao’s Lv. 20 advancement mission could be counted as one of the harder ones as advancement knowledge was extremely rare on beginner planets. In fact, his advancement difficulty was actually comparable to a Lv. 40 one.

Most Lv. 20 characters were usually unable to find basic knowledge for even one talent tree. Some unlucky ones would not even have a main class.

Since there wasn’t any advancement knowledge in the workshop, Han Xiao could only learn more basic knowledge. However, Han Xiao was content with this. Finding knowledge books was a common problem for players. Some players weren’t even able to learn all their class’s basic knowledge by Lv. 40 or even Lv. 50!

Fortunately for Han Xiao, the workshop contained a complete set of basic Mechanic knowledge, which more than gave him a head start—it was an expressway to the finish line!

Inter-galactic Contact Law (7th Edition).

“When coming into contact with new civilizations, these 127 intrusive actions are to be avoided: war, gene manipulation…”

This was why Planet Aquamarine had not been given any cutting-edge technology. Advanced knowledge was the best that the planet had to offer, and even that itself was heavily controlled and treated as a top secret.

_____________________

Add 1 talent point into [Basic Weaponry]? Yes/No

Add 1 talent point into [Basic Material Composition]? Yes/No

“Confirm.”

[Basic Weaponry] contained knowledge on how to craft simple guns and conventional weaponry. It also increased mastery and crafting speeds.

[Basic Material Composition] was one of the core Weaponry talents. The quality and grade of a product was affected by that of its materials, and many of the key materials for higher level machinery were synthetic compounds that had to be crafted.

_____________________

You have learnt five Weaponry talents! You have unlocked [Novice Refining] and [Overload]!

You have unlocked the blueprint [Robot – Rover]!

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[Novice Refining] allowed one to refine materials for higher quality ones. Any skills or abilities with the terms ‘novice’, ‘beginner’, or ‘basic’ were generally the lowest versions of themselves. Most of them would have more advanced versions. For example, [Molecular Refining], that allowed the user to perform instantaneous molecular manipulation simply by expending Energy.

Materials were graded similarly to equipment. Of course, the higher the grade, the higher the value, but the two materials of the same grade could also have differing values. For example, a common iron ore was worth about $13 a pound, while a refined dark iron ore was worth about $45 a pound. Both were Common materials.

[Overload] – Active Skill

Drains Energy to temporarily increase the output of Machinery by 30-50% at the cost of durability. If Han Xiao activated this skill together with his Lightweight Mechanical Arm, its damage and defense would both be significantly boosted. However, with only 120 Energy, he would only be able to maintain the skill for 10 seconds or so.

I’ve finally unlocked an active skill! rejoiced Han Xiao. Mechanics had so few active skills in their early levels that it was quite sad. His escape from the Germinal would have been much, much easier had he possessed this active skill back then.

The [Robot – Rover] blueprint was an easy-to-obtain, early level robot blueprint. It was a low level utility robot that could be equipped with weapons and armor for combat, scouting, and defense purposes, and was also able to self-destruct. It wasn’t created for a specific purpose, but could be modified and improved. They were widely used for prospecting and mining.

Gaining so much from just two talent points, a bargain!

Suddenly, he noticed Old Man Lu creeping up towards him.

“What are you looking so excited all of a sudden?”

Han Xiao rolled his eyes at him, replying, “Aren’t you being a little too nosy?”

“Nosy? Why?” Old Man Lu took a moment to inspect himself.

“It’s working hours. If you’re not helping then go away!” interrupted Lu Qian as she slammed her welding torch down. Her face was flushed and dripping with sweat under the protective goggles she was wearing.

“Little brat,” grumbled Old Man Lu as he carried his bottle of beer outside for a walk.

“Shop owner, is this a repair shop?”

A customer arrived as soon as he left. It was a middle-aged man.

Han Xiao turned to look at the guest, and he noticed the man was looking at him. The man immediately averted his gaze.

Suspicious, thought Han Xiao. When he further noticed his above average sense of balance and solid footing, he realized that the man was most likely an agent from Division 13 who had been sent to test him.

Lu Qian walked forward to receive him with a polite smile.

“Welcome. What is it that you need repaired?”

“My car broke down,” replied the middle-aged man as he watched Han Xiao. “It’s outside.”

“Alright, no problem.”

Just as Lu Qian was about to pick up her toolkit, the middle-aged man suddenly pointed at Han Xiao and said, “I want this little brother to repair my car.”

Lu Qian was stunned. Do I not look capable enough? You’re being sexist!

“I’ll do it,” agreed Han Xiao as he took the toolkit from his dejected boss.

The pair came out of the alley into the main street, where an old sedan car was stopped by the roadside.

“This is the car.”

Han Xiao lifted the bonnet, inspected the interior, and swiftly began to perform repairs.

As Han Xiao worked on the car, the middle-aged man tried to strike a conversation.

“Kid, you’re quite young, aren’t you?”

“I’m 30.”

30? Do you think I’m blind or what‽ The middle-aged man nearly choked.

“How should I address you?” he asked.

“You should show some sincerity when asking for a person’s name,” replied Han Xiao without looking at him.

“I’m Feng Jun,” answered the middle-aged man awkwardly.

“That’s a nice name,” complimented Han Xiao, except that he didn’t sound the least bit sincere, leaving the middle aged speechless.” But you misunderstand; I just want a cigarette,” he added.

Feng Jun uncomfortably took out his cigarette pack and passed one to Han Xiao.

“You can call me Han Xiao,” introduced Han Xiao as he took a puff and returned to the task at hand.

Feng Jun continued to probe. “Han Xiao? You’re not a local, are you? Where are—”

“It’s done,” Han Xiao suddenly interrupted, cutting his words off.

What the hell? I’ve only just started to probe you! Can you not be so quick?

Han Xiao expressionlessly stretched out a hand, saying, “A pipe was broken. I’ll charge you $60. Pay up.”

Of course I know the pipe is broken, damn it! I broke it on purpose!

Feng Jun smiled as he took out his wallet and slowly fiddled around in an attempt to buy more time.

“You have pretty good skills. Where did you acquire them?”

“Natural talent.”

“Oh, that’s amazing. Where are you from?”

“From the countryside.”

“…”

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.

“Are you trying to get a discount out of me?”

At his wits end, Feng Jun coughed dryly before finally pulling out the money to pay up.

Will the department reimburse me for this? he wondered.

Han Xiao sneered. “I thought it would take you another hour to find your money. How big is your wallet?”

As he whistled whimsically, he proceeded to pack up and headed back to the workshop.

When he left, Feng Jun cheerlessly made a phone call.

“Initial observation concluded. The target is a mechanic and his threat level is still an uncertainty. Duration of contact was 4 minutes and 38 seconds. The target named himself as Han Xiao. I suggest proceeding with more testing, and to avoid direct confrontation.

“My analysis of his character? Hmm… yes… extremely annoying!”

The next couple of days went by peacefully. Han Xiao’s daily routine now included going to the junkyard every morning to produce guns. He was paid in cash daily after each session, and was able to salvage a number of spare parts for creating the rover. He had already begun to craft some of its parts, but was holding back on assembling it.

Old Man Lu would occasionally lurk around to spy on Han Xiao as he worked. He was trying to figure out Han Xiao’s background from his craftsmanship. However, because Han Xiao was self-taught, his efforts were in vain.

The tall old man frequently came over to compete with Old Man Lu at 5 in a Row, which Han Xiao found hard to understand. Is 5 in a Row that fun? The tall old man also gradually began to converse with Han Xiao more, and Han Xiao was more than happy to entertain him. Everything was going according to plan.

For Mechanics, crafting rewarded the most experience, followed by enhancement, repairing, and lastly, assembly.

As Han Xiao had no way of acquiring advanced knowledge for now, he decided to use his accumulated experience points to raise the 3 skills of [Beginner Machinery Affinity Lv. 3], [Basic Combat Lv. 8], and [Basic Shooting Lv. 6] to close to max level, and he gained quite a number of talent points from this.

The prerequisite for advancing to a [Trainee Mechanic] happened to be unlocking [Intermediate Machinery Affinity], which required Lv. 5 in [Beginner Machinery Affinity]. Machinery Affinity was one of the common prerequisites for many blueprints and skills.

Although Han Xiao now had a whopping 15 talent points, which seemed a lot, it was always better to save some for rainy days. This was something that he had learned the hard way.

To think I actually had to spend over tens of millions of Enas (universal currency) just to buy Water of Lethe to reset my talent points back then!

At Kero Junkyard, Han Xiao had been busily producing guns all morning.

When he was about to leave, Raccoon passed him a stash of money that he pocketed without counting.

“That should be enough for today. I’ll make a move first,” said Han Xiao.

“Thank you for your contribution. We don’t need any more guns for the time being. However, our deal is still valid. You can continue to salvage any junk parts.”

Now that Han Xiao had served his purpose, Raccoon planned to get rid of him. However, it was not time yet. Raccoon was an extremely cautious person.

“Fine by me,” replied Han Xiao, who saw through his intentions.

He left the junkyard, remembering to make a few extra turns to shake off his tail before coming to a large mechanic market.

This market was popular among students from the Western Capital School and the Mechanic School due to the variety of machine parts and metals it offered.

Han Xiao spent all of the 70,000 Aquamarine Dollars that he had earned to buy the remaining materials that he needed for both the rover, as well as another Lightweight Mechanical Arm.

After obtaining the materials, he returned to his room to continue working on them.

…

A few days later, Han Xiao had finished crafting all of the rover’s parts, and he was now assembling the robot in his room.

1.2 meters tall and armor-plated to protect its interior. Its top half was the shape of a person, except that it didn’t have a neck. It ran on a basic integrated circuit.

It had two sectioned mechanical arms that could bend and rotate like a person’s, and its fingers were remodeled by Han Xiao into guns. Its torso could also rotate 90 degrees, and was inlaid with magazine compartments.

Instead of legs, it moved on tank tracks.

The system prompted Han Xiao to name his creation. Adopting his past naming style, he named it “Rover 1”.

_____________________

Rover 1 (Tank-style)

Type: Robot

Grade: Common

Basic Stats: 800/800 Durability, 18 Defense, 59 Power Output, 23 Max Speed, 120/120 Energy

Height: 1.18m

Weight: 64.8kg

Mode of Control: Remote (Electrical Signal)

Control Radius: 50m

Energy Source: Battery Unit

Energy Usage: 8/min

Power Capacity: 36/80 Ona

Right Arm Module: Small Caliber Machine Gun – 35-40 Dmg, 4 Firing Speed (Max 7 – for 10 seconds), 30 Magazine Capacity (+60 Belt Capacity), 40 Power Output, 18% Accuracy

Left Arm Module: Small Caliber Machine Gun – 35-40 Dmg, 4 Firing Speed (Max 7 – for 10 seconds), 30 Magazine Capacity (+60 Belt Capacity), 40 Power Output, 18% Accuracy

Skills:

– Self-destruct: Self-destruct to inflict 280-430 explosion damage in a 30m radius.

– Metal Armor: Reduces damage taken by 8% (except penetrative attacks).

Note: Don’t underestimate this little fella just because he looks stupid.

The name [Rover] is not exclusive to one type of robot.

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The key materials used to craft Rover 1 were two common materials: steel and plastic resin. If Han Xiao had used a higher quality steel alloy, Rover 1 would have higher durability and defense. Nevertheless, he would be able to update or upgrade the rover with better parts when he got them to keep it relevant. This was a selling point of Mechanics.

The number of modules that could be installed on robots, vehicles, and mobile suits, was limited by their ‘Energy Capacity’. Beside the quality of the energy source itself, ‘Energy Capacity’ could be upgraded by ‘Energy’ talents. Rover 1’s energy source was a standard battery unit, so its Energy Capacity was low.

Completing the rover rewarded Han Xiao with 24,000 exp.

The following day, Han Xiao finished crafting the Lightweight Mechanical Arm.

_____________________

You have crafted Lightweight Mechanical Arm (Left), gaining 2,500 exp.

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His second Lightweight Mechanical Arm was still a left arm, like before. However, the materials he had used to craft it were lower in quality than before, causing it to have a lower grade.

_____________________

Lightweight Mechanical Arm (Left)

Grade: Common

Base Stats: 28-45 Damage, 8-12 Defense, 26 Power Output, 205/205 Durability

Prerequisite(s): 23 Strength

Bonus Stats: -4 Attack Speed

Length: 0.51m

Weight: 6.1kg

Additional Effects: Bonus +6 Strength

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Currently, Han Xiao strongest form of combat was melee combat, so the Lightweight Mechanical Arm suited him well.

Mechanics that favored melee combat were known as Mecha-warriors. Han Xiao did not intend to walk down this path as it was long-ranged capabilities that Mechanics truly excelled in, after all. However, since Mecha-warriors was the style that offered low level Mechanics the highest combat prowess, it would have to do for now.

Han Xiao hid the Lightweight Mechanical Arm before heading downstairs. Lu Qian was engaged in a conversation with a customer who kept on glancing at Han Xiao when he appeared. He was clearly yet another agent from Division 13.

Division 13 had, over the past few days, sent many undercover agents to spy on Han Xiao, but since Han Xiao was a tough nut to crack, they were now attacking from a different angle.

“Why are there so many people asking about you?” asked a puzzled Lu Qian when the agent left.

“Well, I’m popular.”

“But they’re all guys.”

Han Xiao froze up.

“It’s not what you think-”

“Don’t worry! I won’t judge you,” replied Lu Qian as she started giggling.

Why are you giggling like that!

Suddenly, Han Xiao’s turned serious. He had received a system alert.

_____________________

You have triggered the Class-E Mission, [Assailants!]. Accept/Reject]

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Han Xiao was bewildered. What could have triggered such a mission?

“Accept.”

_____________________

Mission Synopsis: The bounty on your head is being eyed. Your enemies are near and they are hiding in the shadows. Meanwhile, a certain group of people has been watching you to assess your potential. What will you do?

Requirement: Avoid death

Reward: 10,000 experience

Bonus Reward: 1x Skill Level-up Card (Basic)

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Han Xiao rolled his eyes at the dramatic synopsis.

The ‘group of people’ referred to in the synopsis most definitely referred to Division 13. Han Xiao put the clues together and conjectured that Division 13 could have leaked intel on him in an elaborate set-up to test his combat strength. However, if that were the case, the people after him must not be too strong. After all, Division 13 wouldn’t risk things blowing up in the city.

Although Han Xiao wasn’t interested in typical Class-E mission rewards, the bonus reward caught his eye. A Skill Level-up Card was certainly something handy to have.

If a mission had a bonus reward, it meant that there was a secret condition to fulfill. Han Xiao guessed that this mission’s secret condition was most likely to kill all of his assailants.

“Since the enemy could appear at any moment, I’d better not stay in the workshop.”

Han Xiao didn’t want to rely on Old Man Lu. After contemplating for a moment, he thought of the perfect location for battle.

Kero Junkyard.

Kero Junkyard was Raccoon’s territory. Han Xiao planned to kill two birds with one stone. He put down his tools and called out to Lu Qian with a request.

“I wish to take the day off.”

“Okay,” replied Lu Qian, blinking. “Is something wrong?”

“No, why?” Han Xiao paused.

Han Xiao always looked lethargic and bored, and Lu Qian, being the observant woman that she was, had noticed the sudden change in air about him. If she had to describe the kind of feeling Han Xiao was giving her now, for some reason, dangerous was the word that came to mind.

“If you’re facing any difficulties, I’ll definitely help you,” she said in a serious tone.

Not knowing what to say, Han Xiao stared at her, which caused her to shift about uncomfortably. She turned away from Han Xiao and twirled her hair, saying, “Don’t you know its rude to stare?”

Han Xiao turned away too and replied, “I won’t be back for dinner.”

“I was actually thinking of letting you try my latest creation, black pepper pineapple baked ribs stew with parsley,” responded Lu Qian dejectedly.

Han Xiao shuddered. What kind of cuisine from hell is that?

Han Xiao returned to his room to get ready. After a short while, he headed out with a backpack and a trolley.

…

“Boss, is that kid the target?”

A man wearing shades was tailing Han Xiao. Every time Han Xiao turned back, he would instantly vanish by making use of his surroundings, be it a public phone booth or a magazine stand. He was clearly a professional. He was using the mini receiver in his ear to communicate with his partner who was hiding in an old van two streets away. There was a total of five masked men in the van. They were none other than Han Xiao’s assailants.

They were the Bee Sting Squad, a group of mercenaries who specialized in hunting bounties. They were decently well-known in underground networks, having successfully completed numerous missions. They had by chance ‘stumbled’ upon Han Xiao’s trail.

For them, this mission was more important than any that they had ever taken on before. Bounty aside, they were hoping to gain favor with the Germinal Organization and earn their backing.

“How could this kid be worth one million? He looks so ordinary! This will be a piece of cake,” said the number two of the squad, full of confidence.

“Don’t forget that we are deep in Stardragon territory. Act swiftly,” reminded the leader, Kelly, as he inspected his gun.

…

“The target is on the move.”

A black, plateless Jeep was following Han Xiao from afar. Inside the Jeep was a team of Division 13 field agents, led by their mission captain, Li Hui. Besides him were 8 other fully equipped agents and Feng Jun, who was acting as an advisor. They were armed with tranquilizer guns.

Just as Han Xiao had expected, his assailants, the Bee Sting Squad, were indeed being used by Division 13 to test him, and these agents were, in fact, tasked to play the role of hero.

Feng Jun brought up a video feed of Han Xiao.

“The target seems to be headed to the District 7’s Kero Junkyard. The Bee Sting Squad is following him. It would be ideal if the battle took place inside the junkyard.”

…

Han Xiao arrived at the Junkyard, to Raccoon’s surprise.

Why is he here?

“I’ve come to find some spare parts,” Han Xiao casually lied. It was a reasonably convincing excuse.

Raccoon then invited Han Xiao for lunch, assuming he would decline, but unexpectedly, Han Xiao agreed, causing him to be visibly caught off-guard.

Han Xiao took his dust mask off, revealing his face to Raccoon. Raccoon found his face strangely familiar, but wrote it off.

Although Han Xiao was unquestionably famous in the criminal world, small-time crooks like Raccoon were, for the most part, largely irrelevant. Hence, they were often not privy to, or bothered with, the latest ongoings.

Although Han Xiao had been wearing the mask to keep his identity a secret, it didn’t matter anymore.

A banquet table was set up by Raccoon’s men. Han Xiao and Raccoon sat on opposite sides, facing each other as they conversed.

“How was the last batch of guns?”

“The 73-WASP is an excellent gun. Even the Six Nations’ armies are using it. One of them is worth six to seven thousand on the black market. I’ve earned a lot thanks to you,” answered Raccoon, as he puffed on a cigar. “And the quality of your guns is way better than those shitty second-hand guns on the market.”

Although a batch of mass-produced guns wouldn’t vary too much in quality, there would always be minor differences from gun to gun. These differences arose from the innate composition of the materials, but they could be minimized by a skilled mechanic. A gun expert would be able to tell a hand-made gun from a mass-produced one.

“What’s in there?” asked Raccoon, pointing towards the stuffed bag and the push trolley.

“Some spare parts,” replied Han Xiao. Raccoon was satisfied with the answer.

They continued chatting until dusk arrived, and the sky had transformed into a gorgeous hue of orange and indigo.

One of Raccoon’s thugs suddenly ran into the room, saying, “Boss, someone is looking for you.”

“Can’t you see I’m with a guest?” replied an irritated Raccoon.

The thug whispered a few words into Raccoon’s ear that made him look at Han Xiao contemplatively. He then got up from his seat and smiled at Han Xiao.

“Please excuse me for a moment,” he said before leaving.

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. Something’s up.

…

Half an hour ago.

“Cousin, I travelled all the way here just so I could enjoy a good life under your care. Please don’t abandon me!” pleaded Ma Jie as he chased after a young man.

He had come to the Western Capital intending to join his cousin’s gang, but his cousin had deemed him unworthy and given him a janitor’s position. Obviously, Ma Jie wouldn’t settle for it, but what else could he do but beg?

“I’ve told you before, don’t call me your cousin!” barked the irritated young man.

“Of course, of course. My bad. I’ll slap myself,” replied Ma Jie, after which he actually slapped himself.

“Just look at how pathetic you are. I let you watch the door precisely because we are relatives! Do you know how many wanderers out there have only spoilt food to eat? I’m going to see a big shot now; don’t follow me!”

“Big shot?” Ma Jie’s eyes lit up. “Who?”

“The boss of District 7, Mr. Raccoon! Each district other than District 1 has an underworld boss. Do you know how powerful they are?”

…

Before the pair realized, they had arrived at the entrance of the Junkyard. Ma Jie tried to follow him in, but the young man glared at him, causing him to give up. Just as Ma Jie was about to leave, he looked beyond the gates and noticed Han Xiao being welcomed. What the heck?

“Isn’t that the kid who sneaked in with me?”

A thug stopped the young man.

“Don’t loiter here,” he said.

“I’m also one of the boss’s men,” replied the young man respectfully. “I’ve come to make a report.”

Suddenly, Ma Jie interrupted them.

“Who is that guy?” he asked, pointing at Han Xiao.

“Who gave you the right to talk‽” snapped his infuriated cousin who motioned to slap him. However, the thug stopped him.

“That person is an important guest of the boss,” he answered.

An important guest? Ma Jie was shocked, but his shock was immediately replaced by jealousy and bitterness. This is unfair! Why is that ignorant brat having it so much better than me‽

Scenes from their conversation replayed in his mind, causing him to feel embarrassed.

“You know Technician Han?”

“Not really, but we did talk a bit when we were being smuggled in.”

The thug’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Follow me! The boss will want to see you!”

Ma Jie and the young man were stunned.

The duo was led to a room.

“What do you want from me?” asked Ma Jie nervously.

“Relax, it’s nothing. That guy is a mechanic who knows how to make guns and our boss has been thinking of making a move on him for a while, but since we aren’t sure of his background, we haven’t acted yet. I just want to know everything you know about him.”

Ma Jie’s eyes lit up at the thought of being able to gain the boss’ favor. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could allow him to surpass his cousin! He sneered and shot a scornful look at his cousin.

Who cares what happens to that bastard Han Xiao?

After waiting for about half an hour, Raccoon came to meet them. When he arrived, both Ma Jie and his cousin hastily arose to greet him. Ma Jie was so tense that he even knocked his own chair down.

“You know Technician Han’s background?” asked Raccoon.

“His name is Han Xiao. He’s a wanderer who snuck into the city with me. It was his first time coming here; he has no relatives.”

“That’s all?” Raccoon’s eyes twitched.

The sight of the boss’ displeasure made Ma Jie think harder to recall something.

“Oh right, he was empty-handed when he came here. His clothes were also extremely tattered, and he looked like a nobody.”

“Very good.”

Raccoon turned around and left.

“Anything for you, boss,” cried out Ma Jie after him.

Raccoon paused and turned around to look at him.

“I like you. Join my gang.”

Ma Jie’s eyes widened with joy.

I’ve hit the jackpot!

After Raccoon left, Huang Mao began to fawn all over Ma Jie. Their roles were now reversed.

“Ma Jie, please take good care of me in the future.”

“What did you just call me?” scoffed Ma Jie.

“Cou- cousin.”

Both of them sure were shamelessly quick to adapt. Ma Jie put his arm around Huang Mao’s shoulders gleefully.

“Brother, may I know what boss intends to do with Han Xiao?” he asked the thug.

“Isn’t it obvious? We’ll force him to spill out the blueprints for the guns before silencing him!”

“That’s good then,” replied a relieved Ma Jie.

…

Less than three minutes later, Raccoon returned to the banquet hall. Han Xiao had left all the dishes untouched. Raccoon smiled.

“Han Xiao… right?”

“Looks like you’ve found out my name.”

Sensing the calm before the storm, Han Xiao stealthily reached for the Lightweight Mechanical Arm in his backpack.

Click!

He equipped it. Although he had already intended to do battle from the start, Han Xiao still remained as vigilant as ever. He had learnt the importance of vigilance the hard way back in Galaxy, but that’s a story for another time.

Raccoon began tapping his fingers on the table.

“Hehe. I’ve always been curious about your true identity, but it turns out that you’re just a wanderer! I must say, you have indeed been very cautious all this time.”

“So what?”

Raccoon’s face darkened.

“Do you understand the situation you’re in? Hand over everything you know about making guns!”

“Why so cold?”

“Cold? We were nothing more than business partners!”

“Would you believe me if I said that I can slaughter all of you if I wanted to?” Han Xiao smiled tauntingly.

Raccoon snapped his fingers as he sneered. In an instant, the four thugs around him were pointing their guns at Han Xiao.

“Did you think that I wouldn’t be prepared? What a joke! All of these guns being pointed at you were created by yourself!”

Other than Raccoon and the four thugs across the table, there were two more men standing guard outside the room, and there was little space for Han Xiao to maneuver in the compact room.

“Even if I tell you, you will still silence me.”

Raccoon laughed coldly. It was exactly as Han Xiao said.

“I do hope that you cooperate though. At least it will save you some suffering.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I have some men who are good at things like torture. You will talk eventually.”

Suddenly, the air about Han Xiao changed as he decided to drop the facade.

“Do you actually think that you have me cornered?”

The sudden change alarmed Raccoon, but he shook his head.

“Even if you do have some kind of trump card in that bag of yours, do you actually think you can move faster than a bullet?”

“What if I told you that there’s powerful explosives in here?”

Raccoon laughed. Ma Jie’s appearance had been, without a doubt, a coincidence. How could Han Xiao have made preparations? Who was he trying to fool?

“I don’t know who the person who told you about me is, but he obviously knows very little. Why don’t you try checking the underworld network to see the latest bounties?”

Raccoon frowned. How could Han Xiao remain so calm, and what was he playing at?

Although Raccoon did have some power in the Western Capital, he was actually just a small-time hoodlum in the grand scheme of things – too insignificant to partake in the matters of the underworld. Hence, he paid little attention to such matters.

He must just be trying to buy more time! Why should I even listen to him?

“Since you don’t believe me, wanna bet? Life is always full of surprises anyway. Now that I noticed, this room is pretty small, isn’t it? Perfect for an explosion. First comes the blast, followed by the shrapnel. Then, this entire place will be razed to the ground. But I guess that’s fine, since we’d all have died in the initial shrapnel…”

“Enough! I have no time for jokes. Stand up, or I’ll fill you up with holes!”

Han Xiao shrugged his shoulders, sighing, “Can’t we talk things through? Fine, I’ll give-”

Suddenly, as the last rays of sunlight dissipated, darkness descended.

Han Xiao had been waiting for this!

Vroom!

The mechanical arm roared to life, shredding the backpack apart! Han Xiao flipped the dining table, sending pots and plates smashing into Raccoon and the four thugs.

Talk things through? Ha! As if!

There were four thugs in front of him, and two behind. Han Xiao knew exactly what he had to do. He picked the table up to use as a screen and charged forward like an unstoppable juggernaut, holding the mechanical arm up in front of him.

Crash!

The four thugs were knocked aside like flies.

“Fire!” screamed an enraged, bloody-faced Raccoon.

The two remaining guards began to fire.

Bullets clinked and clanked onto the mechanical arm, causing its durability to plummet. A bullet found its mark, hitting Han Xiao in his shoulder and doing 16 damage, dying his shirt with blood. However, all it did was give Han Xiao an itch. Han Xiao’s pain tolerance was extremely high, and his solid muscles halted the bullet.

Han Xiao smashed the mechanical arm into one of the thugs’ chest. One loud thud, and he exploded on the spot. He then proceeded to yank the other poor thug up to use as a meat shield against the four thugs who had gotten back up and were firing at him.

Gathering all his strength, Han Xiao ripped out the door from its bolts and threw it at them before running out.

“Chase!” barked Raccoon.

Dozens of thugs throughout the entire Junkyard were alerted by the gunshots and they were rushing over to help.

Kero Junkyard was Raccoon’s main base, and Han Xiao had to tread carefully to avoid being surrounded. He looted a gun from one of the thugs he encountered which made things easier for him.

With his fast reflexes, as well as [Basic Shooting] and [Precise Aim] to help auto-correct his shots, Han Xiao was able to always have the edge against the thugs in the battle of guns. If he encountered a group of them, he would tumble and duck and fire lethal shots as he evaded. The only limitation that he faced was ammo, so he would loot their magazines after each wave. The trail that Han Xiao left behind was bloody and littered with corpses, and Raccoon could hardly believe what he was seeing. Han Xiao had effortlessly taken out over 20 of his men single-handedly!

However, there were indeed way too many thugs converging on Han Xiao, making it hard for him to take the initiative.

Han Xiao hid behind the vehicle frame of a scrapped sedan as dozens of guns were fired in his direction, their muzzle flashes lighting up the night. The bullet storm was deafening, making it hard for Han Xiao to even hear his own breath, and it was extremely difficult to return fire.

“Good thing that this is my territory. No matter what, he can’t possibly make it out of this alone!”

Raccoon was seething with rage.

“I will make him regret ever being born!”

Suddenly, something unexpected occurred.

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!

A submachine gun was being fired from the side of the battlefield! The thugs began dropping in numbers as their screams filled the air.

Bee Sting Squad was entering the fray! Under the guise of nightfall, they instantly overwhelmed Raccoon’s inexperienced thugs.

“Where did these mercenaries come from‽”

Raccoon was scared shitless. Are they after me‽

However, the mercenaries suddenly changed direction and advanced towards Han Xiao instead, ignoring him.

These mercenaries are after him‽

Raccoon stared at the unfolding events in disbelief.

As a villain himself, he understood the simple fact that the stronger a person was, the stronger his enemies. The fact that these mercenaries were willing to risk exposing themselves in the capital to go after Han Xiao meant that Han Xiao must not have been an ordinary person!

He thought back to Han Xiao’s words. “Why don’t you try checking the underworld network to see the latest bounties?”

He wasn’t just talking big‽

Who exactly is he?

…

“That’s the sound of submachine guns.”

His mission target had appeared! Han Xiao was able to sniff out the Bee Sting Squad’s location from their muzzle flashes.

“300m to the west: six people, six submachine guns.”

Han Xiao rapidly performed calculations in his head. The enemy’s firepower was overwhelming. It would be unwise to meet them head on.

Lucky, I came prepared with my trusty Rover. Han Xiao sighed in relief. He whipped out the touchscreen remote control that he had created for Rover 1.

When activated, the rover’s visual feed would appear on the screen. However, the display was currently reading “Out of Range”. Han Xiao had to get to within 50m of the rover to activate it!

Steeling himself, Han Xiao stood up and began to run back along his original path. He was instantly assaulted by submachine gun fire.

Han Xiao made use of the heaps of scrap and junk to duck and take cover, advancing through the rain of bullets.

“Damn it! There’s so much cover for him here,” cursed a long-haired Bee Sting Squad member as he reloaded. “He’s faster than a bloody rabbit!”

Although their original plan had been to assassinate Han Xiao, they had decided to take advantage of the ongoing fight between him and Raccoon to mask their intentions.

“He’s already exhausted! Go in for the kill!” Kelly shouted out.

After the earlier bloodbath, all of Raccoon’s men were either dead or had lost all morale and were unable to fight. Seeing Han Xiao running so desperately emboldened the Bee Sting Squad, and they gave chase.

While he ran, Han Xiao suddenly sensed danger and ducked down. A bullet narrowly missed him, severing a strand of his hair.

After sliding under two more scrap cars, he finally came in range with the rover!

Connection successful!

“Activate!”

In the resting area, amidst debris and dust, the cloth cover on the push trolley suddenly began to vibrate, and two red lights appeared from beneath it!

The rover’s eyes!

The rover’s engine started to whirl, and its wheels began to rotate as Han Xiao piloted it out of the resting area.

At this point of time, the Bee Sting Squad had come extremely close to Han Xiao. Rover 1’s defenses were not strong enough to take on the collective fire of six submachine guns, so it would be too risky to send him in head-on. The sole edge that Han Xiao had over them was the element of surprise, as they would never imagine him to have a robot as a reinforcement.

Han Xiao surveyed his surroundings to find a suitable spot for an ambush.

He found two scrap cars along the Bee Sting Squad’s path that were angled in a such a way that the bend they formed provided a spot of concealment! Han Xiao piloted the rover to hide inside the bend.

The noise from Rover 1’s engine was masked by the ongoing chaos, and only Kelly suspected that something was off. The instinct that he had acquired from surviving through numerous life-and-death encounters told him so. Pausing, he said to his team, “Something doesn’t feel right here.”

“What did you find?” asked the long-haired man.

“That’s the thing; I don’t see anything.”

“Well, it can’t be. The target is already cornered. He’s dead meat.”

At this exact moment, his squad entered Rover 1’s shooting range, and Han Xiao was quick with the command.

Du-du-du-du-du-du…!

Hell rained upon them from Rover 1’s fingers!

The entire squad was wiped out on the spot.

_____________________

Your machine, Rover 1 (Tank-style) has killed a mercenary! You have gained 800 exp!

Your machine, Rover 1 (Tank-style) has killed a mercenary! You have gained 800 exp!

Your machine, Rover 1 (Tank-style) has killed a mercenary! You have gained 800 exp!

Kai Li had managed to take cover in time, but he did not escape unscathed. A few bullets had grazed past his face, leaving him all bloody.

He had been so close to perishing with his squad mates.

“What the hell was that monster‽”

The long-haired man had also survived, but his condition was far worse. He had been shot in the abdomen and was bleeding profusely. Kai Li could hear him groaning in pain.

Suddenly, two red lights began to glimmer in the darkness, terrifying the duo who thought that some kind of savage beast was approaching. Paralyzed with fear, they could only watch on as… Rover 1 appeared!

“A robot‽”

Kai Li stared at Rover 1 in disbelief. He regretted not trusting his instinct.

What should I do now? Kai Li’s immediate thought was to retreat, but the long-haired man suddenly went berserk and opened fire on the rover.

” Die! Die! Die! ”

Clink! Clink! Clank! Clank!

Rover 1’s thin armor was slowly dented by the barrage. Seeing that his attacks were effective, Kai Li and his other remaining teammate began to join the counterattack.

_____________________

[Rover One (Tank-style)] has lost 14 points of armor…

[Rover One (Tank-style)] has lost 17 points of armor…

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As Rover One’s armor was made with inferior materials, it was not tanky at all, and its armor integrity plummeted under the trio’s assault. In just a few seconds of barrage, the poor rover was reduced to a useless hunk of metal.

It couldn’t be helped! As Han Xiao had to work with limited funds, all he had equipped the rover with were the finger guns.

“Damn it! Where is Division 13?”

Suddenly, as if in answer to his prayers, the sound of a marching troop began to fill up the night.

“Disarm yourselves!” someone roared out.

“Quickly retreat!” ordered Kai Li immediately.

The long-haired man emptied a final magazine onto the rover furiously before he relented.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

However, right as they were about to flee, the rover suddenly started to charge towards them as it began to glow!

Self-destruction!

The deafening explosion set the night ablaze, engulfing the trio.

About 50 meters away, Li Hui and his agents were shocked by the massive explosion.

“Damn it,” cursed Feng Jun, “this was supposed to be a covert operation!”

He could already imagine tomorrow’s headlines.

From the moment that the battle between Han Xiao and Raccoon had begun, the situation had already gone out of control; the gunshots alone had already caught the attention of many civilians. However, as they were ordered to act only after the Bee Sting Squad appeared, they could only continue waiting in anguish, and it was now too late.

Han Xiao got to his feet and brushed the sand off his hair. Things were not over yet.

Although the other two mercenaries were not as fortunate, Kai Li had managed to escape the blast in time. He hastily scrambled to his feet to make a run for it when, suddenly, someone other than Han Xiao begun to open fire on him! The shooter was none other than Li Hui!

“Want to steal my kill?” Han Xiao frowned. He had to be the one to finish Kai Li off for the bonus reward!

Han Xiao began to give chase, and he managed to intercept him effortlessly from the side.

Kai Li looked at the man who appeared before him with trepidation. The current Han Xiao felt like a completely different person than before.

“Die!”

Kai Li gritted his teeth and raised his gun to fire. However, before he could pull the trigger, Han Xiao suddenly began to sway from side to side as he closed in on him like a veteran boxer!

Flustered, Kai Li fired multiple shots, but they were all either evaded or blocked by the mechanical arm.

“Not even a single one hit‽”

Kai Li was completely overwhelmed. By his estimations, no matter how strong Han Xiao was, he would at best be at the level of an elite mercenary. Only a superhuman could possibly move faster than a bullet! However, what Han Xiao was doing was equally frightening and hard to believe; he was predicting the trajectory of his shots from just the angle of the gun! It was a feat that only the most experienced of veterans could perform, and even throughout the entire mercenary world, there were only two he knew of that were capable of it.

The look of disbelief on Kai Li’s face amused Han Xiao. Compared to that time he piloted a mobile suit through the crossfire of entire fleets, this was just a piece of cake.

Click!

Kai Li inevitably ran out of bullets and he fumbled to reload. However, it was too late as Han Xiao had closed the gap, suddenly appearing in front of him.

Paralyzed with fear, Kai Li could only watch on in horror. He could hear Han Xiao’s muscles bulge as he stretched his left arm back to prepare for a mighty swing.

Han Xiao twisted powerfully, transferring all the force and momentum in his body into his left arm as he unleashed a devastating hook, simultaneously shouting, “Overload!”

Black smoked billowed out as the engine of the Lightweight Mechanical Arm blared loudly, sending its gears and piston into overdrive. Its power was boosted by 30%.

And Han Xiao smashed it directly into Kai Li’s face.

Critical Hit!

Crushing Blow!

Blood splattered everywhere.

Kai Li may have survived a number of close calls, but he never stood a chance against this one.

When Li Hui and his team arrived, they were greeted by a blood-curdling scene.

Kai Li’s corpse lay limp on the ground beside a blood-soaked, expressionless Han Xiao, whose mechanical arm was covered in pieces of flesh. Half of his face was illuminated by the fire while the other half was grimly enshrouded in darkness.

As experienced as these agents were, they were unable to remain calm.

_____________________

You have completed the E-Class Quest [Hunted!], gaining 10,000 experience.

You have completed the bonus condition: Kill all 6 Assailants.

You have gained a Skill Level-up Card (Basic). Accept Reward: Y/N

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No, selected Han Xiao. He could accept it later on.

“Don’t move!” shouted Li Hui after taking a moment to regain his senses from the initial shock. He raised his gun and pointed it at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao calmly took off the Lightweight Mechanical Arm before raising his arms in the air. Two agents slung a black bag over his head to block his vision before leading him away, presumably to bring him to Division 13.

About time! thought Han Xiao to himself.

Feng Jun gasped when he looked around to see aftermath of the battle.

“6 mercenaries taken out so easily. Is that the power of his machines?”

“Go gather whatever parts he’s left behind and notify the police to follow up,” ordered Li Hui sternly, after which they escorted Han Xiao to a car.

Han Xiao sat in the backseat sandwiched by two agents. Although he couldn’t see, he could sense that they were on their toes.

Although one or two things didn’t go exactly as planned, everything was still within Han Xiao’s expectations.

It was a quiet ride. The atmosphere amongst the agents was extremely tense, and only the sound of driving could be heard. They had been ordered not to converse with Han Xiao. On the contrary, Han Xiao had looked calm from the very moment that they appeared, which bewildered them. It almost seemed like he had expected them.

…

Raccoon’s face darkened as he looked at the aftermath of the battle.

“Bring me a laptop!” he barked.

As soon as he logged in to the underground network and clicked on bounties, he was greeted by Han Xiao’s face.

“Zero, 1 million bounty. He’s wanted by the Germinal Organization‽”

Raccoon’s face instantly paled and he slammed the laptop onto the ground in frustration.

Damn it, he really did have a bounty on him! And it was issued by the king of the underworld no less, the Germinal Organization!

Sometimes, ignorance isn’t bliss.

Now that the dust had cleared, Ma Jie and Huang Mao finally emerged too. Just the sight of the aftermath alone caused them to shake uncontrollably.

Raccoon erupted with anger when they came to him. He kicked Ma Jie to the ground, screaming, “Damn you! It’s all your fault! I will make you pay for this!”

Ma Jie clutched his stomach in pain as he shivered helplessly on the ground.What did I do now?

Suddenly, Raccoon heard the blaring of sirens and he turned to see seven or eight police cars arriving at the entrance.

“Hmph, the ever late police.”

Raccoon tidied himself a little bit before going up to receive them. He was not the least bit flustered by their appearance as, from his perspective, he was a victim and he also had connections with them.

But before he could say a word, the fully-armed officer pressed him to the ground to handcuff him.

Raccoon panicked, and as he struggled to break free he shouted, “What are you guys doing to me! I am the victim here, okay? I know your commander’s secretary…”

“Stop wasting your strength,” replied the officer plainly. “This is Division 13’s order.”

Hearing ‘Division 13’ caused Raccoon’s eyes to widen with disbelief.

Division 13 was involved with important matters relating to the country’s security, why would they come after me? It must have something to do with that damned Han Xiao!

Division 13 is helping him? Why‽

Germinal traitor… Division 13… Stardragon… Intel…

The truth dawned on him.

They want to silence me!

From the moment that Han Xiao had shown him his face, Raccoon’s fate was sealed.

He set me up!

Realizing his impending outcome, Raccoon began to tremble in fear and rage.

“Han Xiao! I curse your ancestors!”

Meanwhile, Ma Jie, shocked badly by the sudden turn of events, fainted and dropped to the ground.

When the bag over Han Xiao’s head was finally removed, he found himself in a bright room. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light.

He was seated on a cold metal chair in front of a table. It was a typical interrogation room with a one-way mirror to Han Xiao’s side.

Two people sat across the table: Li Hui and Feng Jun.

“Allow me to introduce myself, I am an intelligence officer from the Strategic Defense Division of Stardragon,” spoke Feng Jun. “This is not the first time we have met. Do you remember me?”

“I remember,” replied Han Xiao nonchalantly. “The man with the very big wallet.”

Feng Jun was speechless. Can you not bring that up?

“Division 13, Li Hui,” introduced Li Hui. Both his expression and his manner of speech were stone cold.

Stardragon’s Strategic Defense Division consisted of 13 sections in total and was referred to as Division 13.

“Should we call you Han Xiao, or Zero?” Feng Jun asked.

“Whatever you like.”

“Cut the crap,” interrupted Li Hui. “Explain why the Germinal Organization has a million dollar bounty on you and tell us everything you know.”

“Why should I tell you?” asked a bemused Han Xiao.

Li Hui laughed coldly in response.

“What do you think this place is? If we want you to talk, you have to talk!”

“So what if I don’t?” taunted Han Xiao. “Shoot me?”

“Do you think I wouldn’t dare?” barked Li Hui.

“Enough, enough! Calm down. Han Xiao, you should know we are with the government. If you cooperate, we won’t treat you badly.”

Han Xiao smiled and shifted in his seat to adopt a more comfortable posture before replying. “Good cop, bad cop. How outdated is this tactic? Can you at least try something different? I, for one, have a thing for pretty girls. Having to talk to two stern old man is such a turn off. Service with a smile, understand? Come on, smile.”

Han Xiao hit the nail on the spot, taking Feng Jun aback. Feng Jun coughed dryly and communicated with Li Hui through a glance, who understood the message. He abruptly stood up in an act of anger and pointed at Han Xiao as he shouted, “This is not a place for you to try and act funny! I have the power to imprison you for as long as I want!”

“How scary,” mocked Han Xiao before suddenly wiping the smile off his face and adding, “I’m from the Germinal Organization. Threats? Do you think such things will work on me? Come on, you’re making fools out of yourselves. If you want us to cooperate, sure! Show me your sincerity! Get someone qualified enough to speak to me. You two aren’t!” As Han Xiao finished his sentence, he tugged onto his restraints, slamming the chair so loudly that it echoed out in the tiny room.

Feng Jun and Li Hui looked at each other. Their task was only to get a grasp on Han Xiao’s position, and Han Xiao knew this well, which was why he was acting fearless on purpose to declare that he still had something up his sleeve.

Suddenly, a deep voice was transmitted through the speaker in the interrogation room. “As you wish, I will talk with you.”

“Who are you?” asked Han Xiao as he turned to the obvious one-way mirror.

“Division 13, intelligence director. Do I qualify to speak to you?”

“I guess you will do,” Han Xiao nonchalantly replied.

Both Li Hui and Feng Jun’s eyes twitched. What a shameless person!

The intelligence director let it slide and started to ask, “You just said that you are from the Germinal Organization—”

“I was.” Han Xiao corrected him mid-speech.

“So, you have deserted?”

“Yes.”

“What was your position?”

“A logistics research personnel.”

“What did you research?”

“Machinery and weapons.”

“You are lying,” cut the intelligence director. “How can that explain your million dollar bounty?”

Han Xiao smiled – he had expected this very question.

“Rather than call me a liar, haven’t you guys already assumed that I possess some kind of valuable intel? Isn’t that why you’ve been investigating me from a distance?” he replied. “Intel can indeed be used as a weapon – but only in the right hands. I left my trail exposed to prove my willingness to cooperate. I am not your enemy. The Germinal Organization is. And they are my enemy too.”

“Why should we even bother to cooperate with you?” asked the intelligence director in reply. “Look around you – you are in our territory. We have all sorts of tools to make you talk!”

Han Xiao paused to smile calmly for a moment before suddenly saying, “Message log: Galaxy Calendar Year 687, 14th of June. Signal location: Planet Aquamarine. Destination: Planet Blackstar’s 8th base. The contents of this message are top secret.”

The intelligence director remained silent for a full ten minutes.

Li Hui and Feng Jun gave a start when they realized that although what Han Xiao had spoken of made no sense to them, it was clearly valuable intel to the director who in turn had to go relay the information to the top brass for further instruction.

After the long wait, the intelligence director spoke through the speaker again. This time though, he sounded extremely serious.

“Are you sure?” he asked directly.

“How would I know of Blackstar otherwise?”

“…Fine.”

The intelligence director was wearing a grave expression. If the intel that Han Xiao had given him was actually true, it was extremely crucial to not only Stardragon, but the entire planet.

Han Xiao smirked. He had obviously come well-prepared.

In the exploration era, there existed three galactic powers who had been warring for tens of thousands of year. Although it took a long time, the three powers eventually came to an agreement and ceased their fighting. They agreed to work together for peace, order, and advancement.

The universe was extremely vast; it was filled with countless stars and far more life-forms that thrived in every corner. Large amounts of data and information were constantly being broadcast throughout the universe via technology, and the amalgamation of the thoughts and wills of all life in the universe gave rise to a phenomenon known as ‘the whispers of the universe’.

Although the universe did appear calm and static on the surface, it was, in fact, bustling with activity.

All kinds of civilizations underwent the same phase – from admiring space to wondering if they were the only ones. In their hubris, they would conquer their respective galaxies before entering the vast universe, thinking that they were the destined ones – only to find that they were not alone, and definitely not special at all.

The explored universe could be seen as divided into numerous sectors. For example: the Shattered Belt, the Ancient Starfield, the Silver Spiral, and the Sea of Purity. A sector comprised of dozens of star clusters, each containing numerous galaxies that in turn housed planetary systems or star systems that were number-coded, homes to the innumerable planets. Together, they formed the thrilling universal landscape of the game ‘Galaxy’.

Shattered Belt – Colton Group – The Garden – 9th System – Planet Aquamarine. This was basically Aquamarine’s place in the vast universe. Its precise coordinates would take a combination of words and numbers derived using complex math to describe.

The interstellar power that had come into contact with Aquamarine was an advanced civilization of The Garden, the Kedolas. The ‘Blackstar’ that Han Xiao referred to was originally a part of the Kedolas, but they broke away in an attempt to seize power and were now bitter enemies.

The world of ‘Galaxy’ was massive, and many powers and civilizations were constantly at odds with one other. A civilization’s degree of advancement largely depended on its space travel capabilities. As the Kedolas could freely travel between systems without relying on wormholes or stargates created by even advanced civilizations, they were considered a galactic civilization – a few levels higher than Planet Aquamarine.

If the Germinal Organization had actually come into contact with Blackstar and gained their support, things would be extremely grim for the Six Nations. An evil power like them paid no heed to the exploration rules laid down by the Three Powers: The Universal Treaty (currently in its 7th revised edition).

The fact that Aquamarine had been contacted by an interstellar power was top secret information withheld by the Six Nations. Hence, the intelligence director believed Han Xiao to be speaking the truth, and this was what made him extremely nervous.

However, the truth was that the Germinal Organization had made no such contact with Blackstar. Han Xiao simply made it up because it was impossible to verify anyway. It was a sly tactic to get them to not only value him, but also take action against the Germinal Organization. Furthermore, it would help him complete his main quest, so why not?

All the beginner planets were situated quite far away from each other. However, there were specialized galactic tourism services that one could get in touch with as long as he had a device capable of interstellar transmission. They would automatically locate the transmission and come to the buyer. As long as one had enough money, even having a full tour across the entire universe was not impossible. After all, if players on different planets weren’t able to come together, how would competitions and tournaments be held in Galaxy? Most game events were held on neutral or uninhabited planets.

“Get me a map of Stardragon and a pen,” asked Han Xiao suddenly.

Feng Jun went to fetch the items and put them on the table. Han Xiao picked up the pen and circled three locations on the map, saying briefly, “These are three of the Germinal Organization’s secret bases in Stardragon. Treat it as my proof of sincerity.”

“You only know 3?”

Han Xiao rolled his eyes inwardly.

“Of course not. But you can go check these ones out first. We can talk more after.”

“What are your conditions?” asked the intelligence director at long last. Feng Jun and Li Hui closely watched Han Xiao in anticipation.

“I just want us to work together against Germinal,” replied Han Xiao with a mysterious smile.

That’s all? thought the director to himself.

“I will relay our conversation to the higher-ups. Sorry, but you’ll have to continue staying here for the time being.”

Click!

The mic was turned off.

Han Xiao frowned as he shook around his handcuffs.

“Don’t take too long. I only have a day off.”

The director, vice-director, 13 section heads, and some other top brass of Division 13 quickly assembled in the conference room to discuss how to proceed with Han Xiao.

“Han Xiao possesses knowledge of vital information. With his help, we will be able to launch precise attacks on the Germinal Organization’s bases. He is a mechanic, and has demonstrated combat ability on par with elite agents. He is willing to cooperate…” read the intelligence head from a compiled report.

“I believe that we can put some trust in him and work together,” he added.

After a few seconds of uncertain silence, the Internal Affairs Minister was the first to raise his objection.

“No way. What if the intel he gives us is false?”

Division 13 was split into two factions: the hardliners, led by the Internal Affairs Minister, and the conservatives, led by the Intelligence Minister.

The two factions sat separately.

“That is very unlikely,” answered the Intelligence Minister. “He is a deserter of the Germinal Organization, and only stands a chance to live if he gains our protection. There is no reason to doubt his willingness to cooperate.”

“For all you know, it could just be an elaborate act!” The Internal Affairs Ministers shot back. “I suggest we detain him and extract the intel from him by force! Division 13 doesn’t need to negotiate with anyone.”

“You are being ridiculous! Such measures are uncalled for! Han Xiao has already demonstrated his sincerity to us, what we should be doing is accepting it and working together against the common enemy!”

“That is what a coward would do!”

“You are the definition of brainless!”

Under the leadership of their respective spokesmen, the other members from the two factions began to engage in an exchange of insults. Although both factions valued the intel that Han Xiao possessed, one faction wanted to befriend him and work together, while the other faction saw him as a potential threat. The squabble looked like it was almost about to escalate into a brawl.

The director and vice-director simply watched on. The director was the person with the most power in Division 13, while the vice-director was actually a bureaucrat tasked by the higher-ups to perform supervision. He was also referred to as the administrative director.

It wouldn’t be unusual for there to be power struggles for the director position in an institution like Division 13, but the vice-director actually couldn’t be bothered with much at all. Take now for example: he had been sitting still from the start without uttering a single word, as though his spirit had left his body and was on a tour of the world. He was probably even more concerned with what he would have for dinner later on. Well, if you consider that his ambitious predecessor had ended up mysteriously charged with treason, wanting to maintain a low profile was understandable.

The director, on the other hand, was a dignified-looking man who commanded respect. He contemplated for a moment before speaking his mind, “Since you want to both cooperate with him and control him, isn’t there a perfect solution? Let’s recruit him to the department.”

The bickering crowd instantly broke up; silence ensued. The hardliners stared at the director blankly.

What the heck‽

“Absolutely no way!”

“What if Han Xiao’s motive was precisely to infiltrate us‽”

“That goes against our secrecy policy!”

The director suddenly bellowed, “We’ll settle it the way we always do; we’ll have a vote!”

The conservatives rejoiced. Aside from the one neutral minister, each faction had exactly 6 people. With the director’s vote, they would most likely win it. On the other hand, the hardliners were panicking.

Suddenly, the Internal Affairs Ministers spoke, “I think that the logistics department will suit him well. Not only will it maximize his usefulness as a mechanic, we will be able to keep him under close watch since he will be inside the headquarters.”

He had already resigned himself to the inevitable.

For once, the conservatives agreed with him. The logistics department was indeed the best option as Han Xiao would be confined to the HQ.

However, the director suddenly cut in, “Since we are going to make use of his talents anyway, might as well assign him to the covert ops department!”

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly froze. All the ministers turned and looked towards the neutral minister – the covert ops minister who had been in the middle of yawning.

“Ahhh— eh, what? Me?”

“Then it’s settled!” decided the director as he slammed the table. “Words and actions may be deceiving, but motives are not. We’ll let him join the covert ops department after verifying the locations he’s disclosed.”

The ministers all face-palmed themselves. Whatever makes you happy, boss.

The vice-director yawned to break the silence.

“Time to finish up already? What’s on the canteen menu today?”

…

After the conference, the intelligence minister and the logistics minister proceeded to the logistics department together to examine the Lightweight Mechanical Arm.

They were interested to see Han Xiao’s craftsmanship to gain insight on him.

The personnel they had tasked with conducting the examination was Luo Xuan, the ‘ace’ of the logistics department. He was the top machinery studies student of his year at the Western Capital University, and had been recruited directly into Division 13, where his continued excellence earned him the favor of his higher-ups. There were plans to transfer him to the covert ops department.

He was flawless – apart from being too arrogant.

“Begin.”

Luo Xuan began to get to work with the Lightweight Mechanical Arm, but he suddenly stopped and reported, “It’s encrypted.”

Machines were commonly installed with encryption to prevent unauthorized disassembly and reverse engineering. The [Basic Assembly] knowledge that Han Xiao possessed came with the method to install such encryption. The encryption that he had installed would take an E-class mechanic to crack. Evidently, Han Xiao had anticipated this series of events.

Rover One was also encrypted—not that it mattered, since it had self-destructed.

“Can you crack it?” asked the intelligence director.

“No problem,” replied the confident Luo Xuan. He didn’t think that it was possible for an unknown mechanic to make a lock that he, a genius, couldn’t crack.

Twenty minutes later, however, he had not made any progress, and was sweating profusely. “Four-layered encryption‽ Is the bastard who made this machine crazy or something?”

A four-layered encryption was extremely complex to crack as the slightest error would cause the machine’s internals to disintegrate, rendering it useless. Luo Xuan was at a loss of how to proceed.

The intelligence director’s face had long since darkened.

“Can you crack it or not? Don’t waste my time.”

Luo Xuan suppressed his irritation and, through gritted teeth, replied, “This encryption is too complex. I— I need more time.”

“Enough. I don’t have the time to wait for you. Just tell me your thoughts on the arm.”

Luo Xuan face darkened in displeasure and he replied, frustrated, “The craftsmanship itself is nothing special. Only the encryption was well made. Feels like the creator is some bumpkin who treats garbage like treasure.”

The intelligence director’s eyes twitched, but he left without saying anything else. His men retrieved the Lightweight Mechanical Arm. His next plan was to perform actual combat testing at the Germinal bases that Han Xiao had revealed to them.

He was actually more interested in the rover; it was a shame it was burnt beyond recognition.

Division 13 may have been powerful and mighty, but one could never have enough new weapons.

“The research department is always allocated with the largest cut of the budget, yet those useless fools only know how to create useless crap like double-sided sticky bombs, curved guns that don’t work at all, and fake nipples to hide poison needles! They even have male and female versions!”

The covert ops department had borne a grudge against the research team ever since two of their agents were self-poisoned due to a ‘wardrobe malfunction’.

…

Meanwhile, the director was making a phone call to the tall old man.

“I have ensured that Han Xiao will join the covert ops team.”

“Good work. Thank you.”

“Old man, is he really worth doing all this for?” asked the director curiously.

“Heh heh. Intel is not all he has to offer. I have a feeling that he will play a crucial role in the battle against the Germinal Organization.”

Elsewhere, ruined skyscrapers crawled with vines. Below, the streets were cold and empty, and fragments of broken glass littered the line of stores. The stores were in an utter mess; clearly, they had been plundered.

A piece of yellowed newspaper from who knows what year danced about on the streets, carried by the faint wind.

Moonlight filtered through the thick cloud of dust to lend the city some of its luster—the city’s only source of light.

This was an abandoned city. It had once belonged to a great nation, but even this great nation no longer existed, and its people had moved to other places. The living conditions here were so poor that even wanderers avoided this place.

Countless other cities had been similarly abandoned over the last few decades of change. As soon as the people left though, these forsaken jungles of concrete and steel became flourishing grounds for vegetation.

According to Han Xiao’s intel, the Germinal Organization had three bases within Stardragon territory. One of them was located here. The nation’s top brass had been both shocked and angered to learn of the presence of Germinal bases in the country. Within 24 hours, troops had been dispatched from the nearest military bases to attack.

Currently, the city was being bombarded. Over a dozen armored military vehicles had entered the city, and the sound of gunfire and cannon fire was incessant. Screams filled the night.

However, the surface battle was just a diversion.

3 covert ops agents had been tasked to infiltrate the base. They’d just arrived at a side entrance.

Li Ya Lin was an agent with level 4 clearance. A beautiful, young woman with extremely fair skin, she wore a yellow hoodie on top of black compression tights that accentuated her sexy, nose-bleed-inducing body. She had an athletic build.

Li Ya Lin held her hands up in the air as she stretched her back, demonstrating impressive flexibility in the beautifully arced, well-proportioned body of hers. She was clearly the most carefree and energetic of the trio.

She stopped chewing on her bubblegum to complain, “I was finally able to take a break because of my leader’s injury, but they call me back so suddenly for an emergency mission. Are agents not humans?”

Lambert continued to polish his dagger silently. Lambert was the ‘ace’ of a top-secret, unofficial squad during his time in the military, and he had been secretly transferred to the covert ops department after his ‘discharge’. He wore a military-style uniform, and on top of the dozen or so daggers strapped across his waist, there was a black sniper rifle across his back.

“This… this mission… seems to be very important,” stammered Li Yao, a 1.7 meters tall man who looked extremely young. He was the hacker of this three man cell, and carried a bag filled with the team’s tools. He was in the midst of hacking the door. It didn’t take him too long.

The trio exchanged glances before entering.

Li Ya Lin led the front while Lambert took the rear. They hacked through numerous high tech gates effortlessly as they made their way to the server room.

The Germinal Organization was very careful with its information. Once a base was compromised, they would cut off its access to their network, delete all traces of data, and activate an EMP blast to destroy the hardware. Hence, they had always remained elusive to the Six Nations – until Han Xiao arrived.

The trio swiftly arrived at Basement 2, where the server room was located. Suddenly, Lin Yao, who was monitoring the hacked feed, began to exclaim, “There are guards approaching from behind the…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a team of guards appeared in their sights!

Li Ya Lin was the quickest to react. She burst forward so quickly that the guards weren’t even able to draw their guns in time. Leaping gracefully into the air, Lin Ya Lin performed a mid-air split to kick the front two guards in their heads, snapping their necks instantly.

Her power was just as impressive as her flexibility.

She landed on her hands and used them as a pivot to spin her entire body. Her legs began to glow yellow as she extended them while spinning, easily sweeping through the crowd of guards.

“Pugilist!”

The last remaining guard was about to call for reinforcements when a streak of silver flashed across the corridor. A dagger pierced his throat, ending his life.

Lin Ya Lin and Lambert had effortlessly eliminated the fully-equipped squad of guards.

Suddenly, the lights in the corridor turned red as sirens began to wail.

“We’ve been discovered! There is a large number of guards heading towards us. The base is being locked down!” exclaimed Lin Yao.

“Hurry up and hack the server room’s doors!”

“I’m already on it! I need at least three minutes, but the guards will arrive in less than a minute! I can’t bypass the firewall in such a short time. Sor-sorry…” replied a profusely sweating Lin Yao as he frantically typed away at an unbelievable speed.

Very soon, they could hear the sound of footsteps coming from both ends of the corridor. There was no place to hide in the corridor. Although Li Ya Lin and Lambert were confident of killing their way out, the mission seemed like a lost cause.

“Oh right! Didn’t they give us some new equipment‽” recalled Li Ya Lin suddenly. She hastily retrieved a long black case from Lin Yao’s bag and opened it to reveal a metallic mechanical arm.

The Lightweight Mechanical Arm!

“How is this thing supposed to be used? Did you guys read the manual?”

“Slide your left arm through it and activate it with your thumb!” replied Lin Yao hastily. “I don’t know if it will explode though… I mean, it is the research department…”

It was well known throughout Division 13 that anything the research department produced was risky to use.

“We don’t have a choice!” Li Ya Lin gritted her teeth as she slid her hand into the mechanical arm.

The mechanical arm started to whirl!

“I’m fine!” she rejoiced, a look of amazement on her face.

She smashed the mechanical arm into the steel door and discovered to her surprise that it had caused a huge dent, so she continued to throw punches at it.

Twenty seconds later, right as the guards arrived, the door was blasted open.

The trio hurriedly entered the room.

“That was close.”

Li Yao immediately got to work. Digital lockdown was 57% complete. If he were fast enough, he would not only be able to make a backup of the base’s data, but also use its access to hack directly into Germinal Organization’s vaults.

With the room acting as a fort, Lin Ya Lin and Lambert were able to put their fearsome combat abilities to full use.

Li Yan Lin glowed with a yellow aura as she swiftly and gracefully dispatched of the invading guards with a metal baton on top of the Lightweight Mechanical Arm. Her blows were so powerful that they shattered the guards’ bones through their bullet-proof armor.

Meanwhile, Lambert was throwing his daggers out from inside the room. They rebounded to find their marks with frightening accuracy.

The pair was causing a massive number of casualties. Although the guards numbered over a hundred, they were unable to do anything.

Suddenly, the network access and power supply were cut off, and the whole place turned dark.

“Charge out!” yelled Li Ya Lin.

Lambert and Lin Yao followed closely as they battled their way out.

Screams filled the base.

When they finally escaped, Lin Yao collapsed feebly to the ground, still shaking in fear. Li Ya Lin and Lambert seemed accustomed to the sight.

Li Ya Lin fiddled around with the Lightweight Mechanic Arm. She had grown fond of it.

“I wonder who invented this mechanical arm. Could it be that Luo Xuan?” she wondered aloud.

“Who knows, but I did hear that he is slated to join covert-ops. It’s possible,” conjectured Lin Yao as Li Yan Lin gazed lovingly upon it.

The battle lasted for two hours, and it was Stardragon’s most successful operation to date; not only did they destroy an entire Germinal base, they also managed to collect large amounts of data. The top brass in Division 13 were pleased, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Han Xiao’s intel.

However, Han Xiao’s past and the Blackstar issue remained a mystery as the information that Lin Yao had collected naturally had no mention of them—the Blackstar message log was fabricated, while the Valkyrie experiments were top secret.

Back at headquarters, Li Ya Lin reluctantly returned the Lightweight Mechanical Arm.

“Was the mechanical arm useful?” her superior asked.

Li Ya Lin nodded.

“It’s all thanks to it that our mission was a success. Who created it?”

“That, I can’t tell you.”

Ya Lin’s eyes sparkled.

“That will depend on the higher-ups.”

Li Ya Lin gave up with harassing her tight-lipped superior and headed to the logistics department to look for Luo Xuan.

The covert-ops insignia on her chest ensured her smooth passage, ignoring the ongoing commotion caused by her very presence.

Although all the departments in Division 13 were equal in status, the covert-ops department was full of beautiful wom—cough—elite agents, so they were looked up to by all the other departments.

Li Ya Lin suddenly turned around to the crowd following her and loudly declared, “I’m looking for Luo Xuan.”

Everyone looked towards Luo Xuan enviously, singling him out.

Is secret-ops here to recruit me? he wondered.

Suppressing his excitement, he answered, “I am Luo Xuan. How should I address you?”

“Li Ya Lin.”

“What can I help you with?” asked Luo Xuan.

“Are you the one who invented that mechanical arm?”

Mechanical arm? Luo Xuan immediately thought of the Lightweight Mechanical Arm that had caused him to lose face.

Could it have malfunctioned? Luo Xuan celebrated inwardly.

“Was there some kind of problem?” he asked with a straight face.

“Nothing like that. I just found it very useful. I want to make a personal order.”

Luo Xuan froze in embarrassment as snickers broke out in the crowd—he had been ranting loudly about how worthless he thought the mechanical arm was to the whole department.

“I didn’t invent it,” he replied with a forced smile.

“Then say so earlier! What a waste of my time.”

Luo Xuan’s face darkened.

Suddenly, Feng Jun, who had been passing by, came over and said, “The inventor’s identity is top secret. Please refrain from guessing or discussing it.”

Li Yan Lin was startled. Top secret?

As the crowd dispersed, all Luo Xuan could think about was the threat that this mysterious mechanic posed to him.

“I will not let him have a good time if he joins the logistics department!”

…

Elsewhere in a secret facility.

“Boss, base 45 has been destroyed.”

“By whom?”

“Stardragon.”

“How did they learn of our base‽”

“Not sure.”

The Germinal Organization’s bases were scattered all across the globe. However, only a few of them were situated within the territory of the six nations, and those key bases virtually hibernated all year round to prevent detection!

“How could they have discovered our base? Is there a spy amongst us?”

Only a handful of higher-ups in the organization knew the locations of their secret bases. It would be devastating if any of them turned traitor.

The boss decided that he would have to conduct a purge.

Of course, Han Xiao did come to his mind. However, he ruled him out as it didn’t seem possible for Han Xiao to have accessed top secret information as a lowly test subject.

Still, the thought of Han Xiao caused his blood to boil. It had been a while since the bounty was issued, yet there was still no news of him.

“You sure can run fast, but I’ll squash you sooner or later. Enjoy your remaining days while you can.”

The boss laughed coldly.

…

“Han Xiao has been missing for three days now. Where did he go?”

Lu Qian was anxiously pacing up and down.

“Did he lose his way? It’s all my fault! I should have gotten him a mobile phone. You said he’s a foreigner, right? He doesn’t even know this place well! What should I do!”

“Be optimistic. Maybe he just died,” consoled Old Man Lu.

“…”

“Grandpa! Why are you so biased against him?”

Old Man Lu continued picking his nose leisurely.

An idea crossed Lu Qian’s mind.

“Grandpa! Help me ask someone to look for him!” she pleaded.

“You wish,” snorted her grandpa. “Ha! When you stole my books, did you remember that I am your grandpa?”

“That’s not important at all! I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

“No way.”

“You really won’t help?”

“I won’t help!”

Suddenly, Lu Qian smiled shrewdly.

“Then I’ll help you sell all the fine wine that you’ve been hiding underneath the floor in your bedroom!”

“What are you talking about? Is your grandpa such a petty person? You just want to find him, right? I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Old Man Lu instantly changed his tune.

“Thank you, grandpa,” replied Lu Qian with the widest smile.

Old Man Lu sighed. He proceeded to make a phone call to the tall, old man.

“Oi, old man, was Han Xiao taken away by you guys?”

“…You guessed?”

“What did he do?”

“He didn’t do anything; we just want to work with him.”

“If he didn’t do anything, then let him go right now, or else my granddaughter is going to ruin my wine collection!”

“I can’t. It’s against the rules.”

“Cut the bullshit! You are the one who sets the rules. You still owe me one for the last time, remember? I don’t care! Just release Han Xiao now!”

The tall, old man rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“Alright, alright. I got it.”

Old Man Lu unhappily put the phone down.

“Why do I have to help that bugger?” he sighed, reminded of his own past.

Han Xiao had been living in a luxurious one man cell for the past three days. He didn’t seem the least bit worried about his situation; instead, he was more concerned with getting stronger.

He was currently consulting the interface. Having accumulated a total of 90,000 experience recently, he decided to level Basic Combat (Lv. 8) to Lv. 9 before redeeming the Skill Level-up Card.

A glowing bronze card appeared in Han Xiao’s hand. With a thought, it dissipated into countless light particles that entered his forehead.

Han Xiao shuddered as a surge of energy welled up from within. When it stabilized, Han Xiao could feel that he had become stronger.

_____________________

[Basic Combat Lv. 10 (max)]: +10% damage (unarmed), +2 Strength, +1 Endurance

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Many skills gave stat bonuses at certain levels.

The level cap is just the beginning, eh.

Although Han Xiao’s character level couldn’t be increased any further for now, there were other ways to become stronger.

_____________________

[Basic Combat] has been raised to max level! You have gained 1 talent point!

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Alright! I have 16 talent points now!

Han Xiao also used some experience to raise Basic Shooting to Lv. 8, leaving him with 20,000 experience that he intended to gamble on blueprints.

While blueprints could be sold to other players for money and experience back in the game, NPC trading was monopolized by unions and guilds due to quotas.

Of course, that was not a problem for Han Xiao now, since he literally had no competitors. He intended to develop a large clientele, starting with Division 13.

_____________________

Proceed with talent fusion:

[Basic Weaponry + Basic Assembly]

Y/N

(This combination will use 10,000 experience)

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Confirm.

_____________________

Congratulations! You have discovered [Foldable Machete]!

Proceed with talent fusion:

[Basic Weaponry + Basic Material Composition]

Y/N

(This combination will use 10,000 experience)

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Confirm.

_____________________

Congratulations! You have discovered [High-Explosive Gunpowder]!

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Han Xiao’s eyes lit up. [High-Explosive Gunpowder] was one of the better discoveries possible. Not only were its applications manifold, it was not hard to craft at all with the required knowledge. It had been one of the most traded goods back in the game.

The [Foldable Machete], on the other hand, was a disappointing discovery. As its name suggested, it was simply a machete with a foldable blade. It was clearly a weapon for beginners, and Han Xiao could have easily come up with something like this even without the blueprint!

If only I had discovered some long-range weapon instead of this… At least I got something decent.

Nevertheless, as it was something new to Aquamarine, it was not completely worthless. Just because all Mechanics learnt the same knowledge did not mean that they would create the same things. Before Han Xiao had transmigrated, tons of discoveries and inventions were still being made on a regular basis. Granted, not all of them were practical, but they at least gave rise to possibilities.

Han Xiao would have to make do and work with these two blueprints. During his time in the Germinal Organization, he had managed to accumulate 60,000 experience. He would definitely be able to earn much more here in Stardragon after joining Division 13.

Suddenly, the interface lit up.

_____________________

Class-A Mission: [Fall of the Germinal]

Progress Rate: 1.6%

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Looks like Division 13 has made their move!

Han Xiao was surprised by the number. Logically speaking—with how massive and powerful the Germinal Organization was—even destroying one of their bases shouldn’t have that much of an impact on them as a whole.

In the game, the war between the Germinal Organization and the Six Nations had mostly been a back and forth, with neither side being able to hold a clear advantage. There was, however, a point of time in which the Six Nations were able to corner the Germinal Organization, and victory seemed all but assured. Yet, they were unable to end the war as the Germinal Organization had a trump card up its sleeve: Protocol Doomsday.

Hence, completing the mission would be impossible… unless Han Xiao could somehow shut the protocol down.

The doomsday protocol was a last resort, and although it saved the organization from destruction, many Germinal members were disillusioned and swayed as a result. Most of the people who join the Germinal Organization are people who hold a grudge against the Six Nations, and believe in the promise of a new government. However, none of them would truly want to see the world burn. If I could expose the truth…

Han Xiao shook his head. It was way too early for him to be thinking of such things.

…

A few moments later, Feng Jun finally returned. He brought Han Xiao back to the interrogation room where the intelligence minister came to talk with him again.

“The locations of the bases have been confirmed. We believe in your sincerity now. The higher-ups have decided to make you a member of Division 13!”

I did it! Inwardly, Han Xiao sighed in relief.

Looks like getting on good terms with the tall oldie has paid off, he thought to himself. He knew that the tall old man definitely had a hand in this.

“…And the department has decided that you will join covert-ops. You will be assigned to a squad.”

What‽  Han Xiao’s expression spoke of his grievances.

The dawn of the new era had seen the loss of countless lives, resulting in a lack of manpower and talent. While this resulted in the Six Nations having to loosen their recruitment criteria across the board, the covert-ops department could never be compromised!

This definitely has to be the tall old man’s doing! thought Han Xiao. Does he like me that much?

Of course, being able to join covert-ops was a good thing. Not only would Han Xiao be able to get to know stronger, more influential people, he would also be able to directly partake in key events that would occur in Stardragon!

The interface lit up.

_____________________

You have unlocked reputation with a new faction!

Your reputation with Stardragon Strategic Defense Division has increased by 300!

Stardragon Strategic Defense Division (Division 13): Neutral (300/1000) – Level 1 Clearance

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There were 8 levels of reputation: Hated, Hostile, Opposed, Unfriendly, Neutral, Friendly, Honored, and Revered.

300 Reputation was ‘Netural’. Most factions required a ‘Friendly’ reputation to access contribution benefits.

Feng Jun passed a black mobile phone to Han Xiao as he coughed, saying, “From today onwards, I will be your liaison. Never turn this off.”

“Oh, okay. It’s not actually important, right?” remarked Han Xiao aloofly.

“Why are you always so unpleasant to talk to‽”

It was a plain looking phone with a plain looking interface, and was only capable of making calls and sending messages. Han Xiao played with the phone in his hands as he asked, “It’s secure, right?”

“Rest assured. It’s encrypted.

“One more thing,” interjected the intelligence minister. “I hope that you can give us your machinery blueprints, including the ones for the Lightweight Mechanical Arm and that rover you used.”

Although giving them the blueprints would earn him contribution points, it would also result in him losing monopoly over them. Division 13 would definitely mass produce them.

Han Xiao shook his head in refusal, and the minister simply shrugged.

At the end of the day, what they truly valued was the intel that Han Xiao possessed. If he was unwilling to give them the blueprints, then so be it.

“Oh right. What if an agent makes a private order with me?” he asked.

“We have no rules against that,” answered the minister, to Han Xiao’s delight.

Feng Jun proceeded to pull a black bag over Han Xiao’s head once more.

The car stopped, and Han Xiao was pushed out with the black bag still over his head. When the car began to speed off, Han Xiao removed the black bag to find himself a few streets away from the workshop.

When he looked up, he could see several glistening moons in the night sky.

“Tsk. Why all the secrecy?” he muttered to himself.

Nevertheless, Han Xiao was feeling quite pleased for having accomplished his goal. He hummed merrily as he made his way back to the workshop. It was only when he reached the entrance that it dawned on him that going missing for 3 days would be hard to explain.

Han Xiao stepped inside the workshop to see an anxious Lu Qian pacing back and forth.

For some reason, she became enraged at the sight of him.

“Why did you only come back now‽ Do you know how worried I’ve been? You’re a foreigner! I thought something might have happened to you!”

Han Xiao put on his ‘huh, did something happen?’ expression and stared at her blankly.

“What exactly were you doing?”

“Taking a stroll.”

“Can you at least try to come up with a better excuse‽”

“I thought… it’s quite a good excuse?”

“A gunfight at the junkyard was reported on the news yesterday. I thought you got caught in it or something and…” Lu Qian began nagging.

Being nagged at did not irritate Han Xiao at all; on the contrary, it gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling.

However, Old Man Lu appeared to ruin the moment.

“You came back alive? How disappointing.”

“I’ll get you a mobile phone over the next few days. The cost will be deducted from your salary,” said Lu Qian.

“There’s no need. I already have one,” replied Han Xiao as he whipped the black mobile phone out.

Although they had told him not to share the number with anyone else, screw Division 13!

When he saw the black phone, Old Man Lu gave a start. He pulled Han Xiao away to a corner.

“This is a Division 13 phone. You joined Division 13?”

“So you know what this is.”

“Hmph. Since you’ve joined Division 13… get the hell out of my workshop!”

“You can leave if you want to; I’m not leaving.”

“How dare you talk to me like that‽ Why would you even want to-”

Old Man Lu suddenly paused.

“Are you… trying to woo my granddaughter?” He glowered.

“No!” Han Xiao hastily answered.

Suddenly, however, Old Man Lu’s expression grew strange.

“Hey Little Han, now that I think about it… my granddaughter is not that young anymore. What do you think about her?”

Han Xiao immediately stiffened up.

“Old Lu, as the saying goes, a stolen melon is not sweet!”

“But at least you would have a melon! Besides, we need a boy to carry on the family name.”

We‽ Don’t drag me into your family tree!

“…”

“Heh heh. Strike while the iron is hot! There is only so much I can help you with,” he added while patting Han Xiao on the shoulder before heading upstairs, leaving Han Xiao utterly bewildered.

Old people who want descendants are scary!

Han Xiao turned around, and to his horror, Lu Qian had been standing behind him the entire time. She stared at Han Xiao with big, bright eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears.

“This is a misunderstanding!”

“J-jerk!” Lu Qian covered her blushing face and ran upstairs.

“It’s not like that…”

…

For Luo Xuan, the next few days were restless ones. He was afraid that Han Xiao would join the logistics department and steal the limelight from him.

When it finally got to his head, he went to find a director to ask about Han Xiao.

“His information is classified,” the big-bellied logistics director, who always wore a smile on his face, said when he asked. “All I can tell you is that he’s joined Division 13.”

Luo Xuan’s heart sank when he heard the news.

“Will he join logistics, or research?”

The director shook his head.

“Neither. He’s joined covert-ops. He’ll start in a few days.”

The news stunned Luo Xuan.

How could some unknown guy who popped out of nowhere be directly recruited into secret ops? I’ve worked my ass for so many years, yet I’m still in research?

This is unfair!

…

One week after the junkyard incident, the underworld bosses of the six other districts gathered together to discuss an important issue, the disappearance of Raccoon.

Through piecing together bits of the puzzle, they were able to uncover that Division 13 had a hand in it, and this shocked all of them.

What exactly did Raccoon do to incur the wrath of the mighty lion?

“Raccoon must have offended Division 13 somehow. He is probably dead already,” declared the boss of District 2, who had initiated the meeting.

All of the bosses present had grave expressions. Although they usually acted high and mighty in front of their subordinates, they all knew that Division 13 could easily wipe any one of them out. They were really just small-time hoodlums.

After all, the Western Capital was the seat of the government, and they were just sewer rats hiding around. In fact, they could not even be compared to the intelligence and firearms brokers in the slums! At least those people had powerful backers.

“Who wants to take over District 7?” asked the District 2 boss.

Everyone remained silent.

“No one?”

Although the bosses usually fought amongst one another for territory, none of them dared to take over District 7 without understanding why Division 13 had taken action.

“Fine, then we will leave it open to new blood.”

Now that Raccoon was removed from the picture, there would definitely be ambitious people in his gang rising up to seize power. Of course, it was not that they were willing to let a new rival emerge. Instead, as the situation in District 7 was still unclear, they were just waiting to see what would happen. It would not be too late to get rid of the new boss as soon as everything stabilized.

…

Han Xiao’s life in the workshop returned to normal. After a few days, he asked for an advance of his first month’s pay to order some materials from Division 13.

At present, he was examining a dark red bullet lying on his palm. It was carved with flame patterns.

_____________________

[High-explosive Bullet]: Causes an explosion in a 3 meter radius upon hitting the target.

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Although it was a very simple description, it was actually extremely powerful.

High-explosive bullets incorporated extremely flammable incendiary gels and gases that could ignite far easier than traditional armor-piercing ammunition. They would explode immediately upon coming into contact with air, and the bullet itself would also be consumed in the explosion, leaving nothing behind.

The method to craft the incendiary agents was described in detail in the blueprint, and although Han Xiao was not able to understand it well, as he had not learnt [Basic Chemistry] yet, he was still able to craft it by following the instructions.

From handgun bullets to sniper bullets, over the next few days, Han Xiao crafted dozens of high-explosive bullets.

He also used some good quality metal to craft a 2.5kg, 0.65m Foldable Knife with 13-19 Damage. It was an entirely black knife with a triangular-tipped edge, and while it was not really ideal for combat, it did have some practical uses.

Han Xiao used the experience he gained from crafting the high-explosives and the foldable knife to raise [Machinery Affinity (Novice)] to Lv. 4.

[Machinery Affinity (Novice)] had a level cap of 5, which would take Han Xiao 15,000 experience. His [Basic Shooting] was now Lv. 8, and that would take another 45,000 experience to level up. In all, Han Xiao just needed 60,000 more experience to gain 2 more talent points.

Each of the Six Nations possessed different types of advanced knowledge that they used to entice powerful people to work for them. On Planet Aquamarine, there was only advanced knowledge for three of the five main classes: Pugilist, Mechanic, and Esper.

While no beginner planet possessed advanced knowledge of all 5 main classes, newcomers were always sent to planets based on their inputted preferences.

While Division 13 possessed advanced Mechanic knowledge, it was only accessible to ‘revered’ allies.

There was still a long way to go before Han Xiao became revered with Division 13.

Ever since the night that Han Xiao returned to the workshop, Lu Qian had not once looked at him directly in the eye, and would blush and run away from him after just a few sentences, making Han Xiao feel extremely irked. It did not help that Old Man Lu would pop up from time to time to give him knowing looks.

As for Lu Qian herself, she actually had mixed feelings about Han Xiao.

Of course, she did not hate Han Xiao. However, it was not like she liked him either.

Instead, she was more worried that Han Xiao would pack up and leave if she rejected him. After all, where else would she able to find such a good (cheap) employee?

Suddenly, Han Xiao’s mobile phone lit up.

The message read: ‘The paperwork has been completed. Report today. – Feng Jun.’

“Finally.”

Stardragon Tower was a top-secret government facility where the headquarters of Division 13 was located at. The inside of the tower was like a maze. Han Xiao followed Feng Jun through passageways and tunnels for half an hour before finally reaching the HQ. This time, he wasn’t blindfolded.

“This place is so damn hard to access,” complained Han Xiao.

“That’s why it’s safe,” replied Feng Jun as he swiped his security pass over the sensor to unlock the giant automatic gate.

Han Xiao stepped through the gate into an extremely spacious hall bustling with people. To his surprise, despite being underground, Division 13 HQ was both well-lit and well-ventilated.

Feng Jun handed Han Xiao his security pass and a mouth mask.

“It’s better not to reveal your face to too many people. Wear this.”

Han Xiao was about to put it on when he noticed that there was a picture of a naked bodybuilder printed on it. He frowned and turned to see Feng Jun stifling his laughter.

“Why are you looking at me? Put it on quickly!”

“Hmph.”

Han Xiao suddenly yanked Feng Jun’s arm to rip out a piece of fabric from his sleeve.

“This thing suits you better,” he casually said as he tied it over his face and threw the custom mask back at him.

Feng Jun almost broke out into tears.

“This is my newly issued uniform…”

Suddenly, Han Xiao felt someone watching him. He looked around to find an unfamiliar young man wearing a white coat glaring at him hatefully.

“What’s he so angry about?” asked Han Xiao, bewildered.

Feng Jun laughed bitterly.

“He… just ignore him.”

Luo Xuan had never seen Han Xiao’s face before, but he knew for certain that the person beside Feng Jun was him.

…

The covert-ops department had a single floor all to themselves. It was noticeably less crowded than the other departments.

Feng Jun brought Han Xiao to a meeting room before leaving.

Han Xiao stepped through the door to see that there were already three people seated inside. They were none other than Li Ya Lin, Lambert, and Li Yao.

“You’re the logistics guy that the director gave special permission to join our team?”

Li Ya Lin rose up to circle around Han Xiao as she examined him.

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. Special permission? Logistics guy? Suddenly, he noticed that the woman who had spoken to him was not only slender and perky, but extremely pretty. In Han Xiao’s books, she was easily up there with Hila. She was wearing a yellow sports-style jacket on top of black tights.

“I am Han Xiao, a mechanic.”

Li Yao abruptly stood up, knocking his chair down in the process.

“Ni-ni-nice to meet you. I am Li Yao, the team’s hacker,” he introduced, stretching out a hand.

“I am the sniper, Lambert,” introduced Lambert plainly without getting up.

Han Xiao shook Li Yao’s hand and casually acknowledged Lambert with a nod. He was obviously the silent type.

“Hey, why are you wearing a mask?” asked Li Ya Lin with big, bright, curious eyes as she reached out to pull Han Xiao’s mask off.

Han Xiao dodged.

“Why are you hiding your face! Don’t you trust us?” Li Ya Lin questioned unhappily.

“My identity is top-secret,” Han Xiao replied.

Although being assigned to this team would have to mean that these people were trustworthy, Han Xiao still felt that not revealing his face would save him some trouble. He could imagine the questions they would have for him after learning of his face…

“Aren’t you that wanted fugitive?”

“Why would Division 13 want you?”

“What did you do to the Germinal Organization?”

Answering all those questions would be a real headache.

Besides, Han Xiao did not plan to stay in Division 13 for too long.

“Your identity is top-secret? Hold on…” Li Ya Lin seemed to recall something, and she jumped in front of Han Xiao, asking, “Were you the one who made the Lightweight Mechanical Arm?”

Han Xiao gave a start.

“How do you know‽”

“Ha ha! So it’s you!” Li Ya Lin jumped about excitedly before slinging an arm over Han Xiao’s shoulder. “Make another one for me!”

Han Xiao’s mouth twitched.

“It won’t be free.”

Li Ya Lin laughed loudly before asking softly, “Can I have a discount?”

“No.”

“You miser!”

“I still don’t know your name.” This overly friendly pretty lady was giving him quite a headache.

“Li Ya Lin, in charge of close combat,” she reluctantly answered.

“So the four of us are a team?”

“No, there’s still our leader.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s not here. He’s recovering from an injury.”

“Even the leader gets injured. Covert-ops must be some dangerous work,” remarked Han Xiao.

The trio exchanged awkward glances.

“The leader is sick from food poisoning,” explained Li Yao.

“…”

Han Xiao was speechless.

Li Yao coughed dryly.

“The covert-ops department takes on special high difficulty missions. Each team contains 4-7 people, and other than completing the missions assigned to us each month, we are basically free to do whatever we want in our free time,” he began to explain.

“Covert-ops personnel are the cream of the crop. Some of us, like Uncle Lambert, are recruited from other organizations. He was recruited in from a special forces squad. Your designation is field support. You will be in charge of equipment, scheduling, and, during operations, gathering and organizing intel. You’ll be our eyes and ears from now on.”

That’s nice and all… thought Han Xiao, but I want to hunt monsters!

Nevertheless, he could understand why Division 13 arranged things like this – they would rather not put a valuable asset like him in the face of danger.

Well, at the end of the day, Han Xiao not only gained their protection, but also a platform to make some money, so he was satisfied.

Mechanics were really too weak early on compared to pugilists or espers, so crafting was much more efficient for them to earn experience.

“Does our team have a name?” asked Han Xiao.

“Team name? What use would that have?” replied a still displeased Li Ya Lin.

“That’s true…” muttered Han Xiao.

Suddenly, Li Yao interrupted, “We were just issued a mission to take in Black Spider. Apparently, he’s still hiding here in the Western Capital.”

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. The timing of the mission was too sudden. It was probably deliberately assigned by the higher-ups.

“Black Spider?” Li Ya Lin wondered aloud. “I know him. He’s infamous for being a solo bounty hunter. The last time those field agents tried to bring him in he blew up two whole streets. Why would he still hide here in the capital?”

“When will we depart?” Lambert asked.

“There’s no rush. Since they’ve already confirmed his location, let’s just act at night.”

“Since this is your first mission, just familiarize yourself with the logistics preparation.”

Although it was their first meeting, the trio did not inquire too much about Han Xiao’s identity. To be assigned to covert-ops already meant that the higher-ups trusted him, and that was enough.

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[You have triggered the Class-E mission, [Black Spider]. Accept/Decline]

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Accept.

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Mission Hint: Black Spider is a notorious murderer and bounty hunter. This is your first mission with the covert-ops department. Your responsibility is to help the team succeed.

Mission Requirement: Defeat Black Spider

Reward: 5,000 experience

Bonus Reward: 40,000 experience or Mind Stabilizer

Black Spider? Isn’t that a mini-boss? thought Han Xiao to himself.

Black Spider was an Esper who was regarded as one of the ‘Hardest Bosses to Kill in Version 1.0’.

Normally, a mini-boss quest at Han Xiao’s current level would be at least Class-D, and reward way more experience. However, in Galaxy, quests rewards were automatically adjusted according to character level and roles.

Generally, in a party quest, players who contributed the most damage or healing would earn the most experience. It was a system that prevented experience leeching.

I guess it’s still better than nothing,  Han Xiao consoled himself.

From what Han Xiao knew about Black Spider, this mission would be a piece of cake for his team. However, the bonus reward was a different question. Han Xiao knew for sure that the condition for the bonus reward would be to take Black Spider in alive, but it could prove difficult to accomplish as Black Spider was in fact a superhuman, and his abilities made him much harder to catch than to defeat. As of now, only Han Xiao knew about the fact that he was a superhuman. In the game, it would only be revealed later on after launch.

On the other hand, since Han Xiao had a complete understanding of the extent of Black Spider’s abilities, it was still possible to catch him.

“How much will you charge me?” asked Li Ya Lin all of a sudden. She was clearly still hung up on the Lightweight Mecha Arm.

“One Lightweight Mecha Arm will cost 20,000. 10,000 upfront, plus materials, and I’ll make you one in two days.”

Li Ya Lin pouted. Although it was almost a month of her wage, she was still bent on having it.

“Do you have anything else for now?”

Han Xiao pondered for a moment before whipping out what seemed to be a 10 centimeter black knife handle without a blade.

“What’s this for?” asked Li Ya Lin uncertainly.

Han Xiao chuckled and pressed a small switch on the handle. Instantly, a blade shot out from within it, transforming the stick into a 70 centimeter sharp knife.

“This is a retractable knife.”

For Li Ya Lin, it was love at first sight. The reason she favored her baton was due to its portability, and the retractable knife took it one step further. It was as concealable, yet stronger. Just as she was about to grab it out of Han Xiao’s hands, Han Xiao dodged.

“1,000 for one,” he stated with a straight face. In truth, it had only costed him 300 to make.

“You stingy miser! Money-face!” Li Ya Lin scolded as she forked out the money.

As she started to play around with the knife, Lambert suddenly spoke.

“I want ten but shorter. Around 30 cm.”

Han Xiao was overjoyed.

“No problem!”

“I want them ready for tonight.”

“As long as I have the materials.”

“I want one, too!” Lin Yao exclaimed, to Han Xiao’s surprise. For some reason, this beginner weapon was turning out to be quite the hot item.

What Han Xiao did not know was that innovation was stifled in Division 13 – and it probably had something to do with the research department. Furthermore, the type of complex missions that secret-ops typically performed restricted their choice of equipment.

Most agents’ preferred weapon of choice for close combat was the dagger, so Han Xiao’s retractable knife was quite a game changer. Imagine if, during a mission, your enemy whipped out his 10 cm dagger, and you whipped out your meter long knife.

Longer is always more impressive.

…

After acquiring the materials from Lambert and Li Yao, Han Xiao headed over to the private workshop at the logistics department to get the knives crafted.

In one afternoon, Han Xiao earned 11,000 Aquamarine Dollars and even earned quite a bit of experience in the process: 8,000 in total.

“Not bad at all. Looks like Division 13 will be the goldmine that I expected it to be.”

After getting suited up, the trio departed for the city to hunt Black Spider. Han Xiao, though, stayed behind in the HQ to provide support, intel, and instructions.

Li Ya Lin, Lambert, and Li Yao all had cameras and mics attached to them, and their feeds were directly wired to Han Xiao. He could clearly see whatever they were seeing, and in some sense, his job was to act as a director of sorts.

Of course, as Han Xiao was new to the squad, he did not expect them to fully trust his judgement. Furthermore, it was an easy mission that all of them knew the higher-ups meant as a trial. While they did not object to Han Xiao playing captain, whether they would listen to him was another matter. They would still follow their own judgement no matter what, and Han Xiao fully knew this.

Nonetheless, Han Xiao was not only quite experienced as a captain – having led 50 men raids back in Galaxy – he was basically omniscient, and this alone made him the best person for the job.

…

Night had fallen.

Three people arrived at the dirty, wet streets of District 8. As it was night, the streets were empty, and the streetlights flickered ominously.

District 8 was vastly different from the other districts. The buildings here were shabby, and some did not even have proper roofs – instead, metal sheets and cloth could be seen covering the houses. Laundry was hanging up all over the place, and the streets were uncleaned and full of litter. This was a place that could hardly be called safe. Drug dealers and the like all thrived in this district, and it was to no one’s surprise that Black Spider would hide here.

The trio were fully equipped – even Li Yao. Although he was a hacker – and also a coward – he was still able to wield a gun.

“That apartment building ahead is Black Spider’s hiding spot. He should be on the third floor. We need to approach silently,” said Li Ya Lin to Lambert and Li Yan.

“There’s no point in acting stealthy,” interrupted Han Xiao through the intercom. “Black Spider has already discovered you all.”

“How do you know?” Li Ya Lin frowned.

Suddenly, gunfire pierced the silence of the night as a storm of bullets rained upon the trio. They immediately jumped into the nearest alley to seek cover.

The trio exchanged serious looks as they leaned against the wall.

Since when did he notice us‽

While a simple ambush like that would never have been enough to do them in, they would not have been able to react so fast without Han Xiao’s warning. Li Ya Lin put her game face on and clamped her earpiece tighter.

There was a man standing on top of the tall building from where the shots had come from smiling frenziedly upon the trio’s location with an assault rifle in his hands. On the left side of his face was a tattoo of a black spider. With a wave of his hand, ten masked men armed with guns suddenly jumped out of their hiding spots in the nearby streets and alleys to converge on the alley that the trio was in.

“Our intel was wrong! Wasn’t he alone‽” Lin Yao’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

Li Ya Lin’s heart sunk.

Black Spider began to laugh coldly.

“Did you think that I would continue staying here if I was not prepared? You guys got me good the other time, but now that you have all kindly offered yourselves up, I shall have my revenge!”

Black Spider was widely known to be an independent bounty hunter, and his modus operandi was to set up traps before the battle even broke out. The trio were akin to prey stepping into a spider’s web.

Li Ya Lin suddenly turned to face the wall and, as her leg began to glow yellow, smashed it down with a powerful kick to obstruct the enemy’s vision.

Low level pugilists relied mainly on their abnormally huge power. Li Ya Lin was a Lv. 25 E-class superhuman with over 300 ona.

Black Spider and his agents suppressed the trio with overwhelming gunfire as they converged onto the alleyway.

Li Ya Lin and Lambert dragged Lin Yao with them as they made use of their surroundings to evade the gunfire. While they were able to dodge all the bullets, they soon found themselves cornered in a dead end; Black Spider and his men had sealed off the alley.

Black Spider closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“My insects, you must be trembling with fear now,” he said frenziedly.

“Do you think you’ve won?” replied Li Ya Lin tauntingly as she shot a glance at Lambert.

Black Spider turned around to face his men as he opened up his arms.

“I just need to say give the order and you will become minced meat in an instant. I do think I’ve won, don’t you?”

“Then what are you waiting for?” glowered Li Ya Lin.

Black Spider waved a finger.

“Killing you all will do me no good. I’ll ransom you for a tidy sum!” he proudly declared, knowing full well that Division 13 could hear him through the trio’s intercom.

“But only one of you is enough!” he suddenly broke out in maniacal laughter.

Just as he was about to give the order to fire, Li Ya Lin jumped onto the wall, and, as her legs began to glow yellow, she sprung forward, soaring in the air like a graceful swallow to close in on Black Spider and his men.

“Kill her!” Black Spider frantically ordered. His men began to fire at Li Ya Lin, and while a few bullets managed to find their mark despite her being fast to the point of becoming a blur, they simply flattened into metal pancakes upon hitting her clothes.

Not only was the fabric of Li Ya Lin’s bodysuit weaved with bulletproof ceramic fiber, her own body itself was tough enough to deflect bullets. From the start, the trio had only been fleeing to bait in Black Spider and all of his men.

As Li Ya Lin distracted them, Lambert whipped out two knives with each hand and threw them out, killing four men instantly.

Li Ya Lin drew the sheathed retractable knife from her waist and slashed at the nearest agent. The agent threw his head back slightly, thinking that it would be enough to dodge, but, suddenly, a 10 cm blade extended out to rip his throat open.

“Excellent weapon!” remarked Li Ya Lin with shining eyes.

What happens when a gunman comes into the range of a pugilist goes without saying. Thirty seconds later, there was blood splattered everywhere, and only Black Spider, with both hands chopped off, remained.

Li Ya Lin exhaled as she sheathed the retractable knife. She clearly looked pleased with it.

“Well done,” praised Han Xiao. He had chosen to remain silent during the fight so as not to bother them.

“Thank— thank you,” Li Yao stammered.

“Not you.”

Li Yao lowered his head in depression. He had truly not contributed anything at all during the fight.

The heavily wounded Black Spider began to laugh hoarsely as he glared at Li Ya Lin without a single trace of fear in his eyes.

“Little brat, you guys can’t kill me,” he taunted.

Suddenly, Lambert whipped out his gun to shoot Black Spider in the head. Blood splattered across the floor as Black Spider’s body collapsed to the ground.

Li Ya Lin and Li Yao turned to look at him speechlessly.

“Can’t know until you try,” he stated plainly.

“Ay… whatever. They didn’t tell us to take him in alive anyway,” said Li Ya Lin as she lazily stretched her back. “Ah! I want to go back to take a shower! All of this blood is so smelly.”

Suddenly, however, Han Xiao spoke.

“Don’t let your guard down. He’s not dead yet.”

Li Ya Lin almost stumbled backwards in her stretch.

“How can he be alive?” she fumed as she pointed at what remained of Black Spider’s head.

“He is a superhuman with some tricky abilities. Unmask the corpse next to him. You will understand,” replied Han Xiao calmly.

“But there isn’t any piece of news on the dark web that says Black Spider is a superhuman,” hesitated Li Yao. “You might be mistaken.”

“Not might, he is definitely mistaken,” added a disgruntled Li Ya Lin. “Hey, newbie, I know you want to earn some credit, but don’t make these kind of things up!”

Han Xiao was speechless.

“Just give it a try.”

Lambert cut Li Ya Lin off as he bent down to unmask the agent. To their alarm, the man did not have a face, or rather, he did not have any facial features.

“What— what is this‽”

Li Yao was horror-struck. They proceeded to unmask the remaining 9 men, and they were all faceless!

Suddenly, a change occurred in the first man that Han Xiao had asked them to unmask. As the mark of a black spider slowly appeared on his face, facial features also began to form, and it soon became clear that it looked exactly like Black Spider’s face. Next, the wounds on this person actually began to heal up, and after a while, this ‘corpse’s’ eyelids began to move!

“Blow his brains up!” Han Xiao instructed firmly.

Lambert fired without hesitation.

They proceeded to listen to Han Xiao and repeat the same procedure one by one on whichever faceless man the same signs next appeared on. Li Ya Lin and Li Yao were thoroughly shocked by what was happening, but they suppressed their doubts and carried out Han Xiao’s instructions.

Although they had no idea how Han Xiao knew of Black Spider’s secret; he, without a doubt, knew his stuff.

When there was only one faceless man left, Han Xiao stopped them.

“Don’t kill him. Just cripple him.”

When the mark of the black spider and Black Spider’s face formed completely on the faceless man, he opened his eyes in horror and shouted, “How do you all know my superpowers‽”

The name of his ability was [Parasitic Copy].

It allowed him to create a faceless copy out of himself after a certain period of time. The copy did not possess intelligence and could only operate and follow simple instructions within a fixed radius of himself.

Each copy that Black Spider had was like an extra life, and he could reincarnate indefinitely as long as a copy still existed. In this manner, he was virtually immortal.

While this ability did not have any direct offensive use, what it did was alter Black Spider’s very life-form and free him from the restraints of flesh and blood, turning him into a force of consciousness that could reside in any of his copies.

As long as a copy existed, he was invincible!

It was his greatest secret, and one that he would never divulge to anyone.

How could anyone have figured it out‽

Han Xiao laughed at the sight of Black Spider’s dumbfounded and horrified face on the feed. If it had been some other mini-boss, he might not have been able to recall their abilities, but Black Spider had been a headache for countless players in the game, so he left a lasting impression.

At present, Black Spider had actually not even mastered his power, making it the perfect time to deal with him. Nonetheless, it was a superpower with extremely high potential. Who knows what someone who had mastered it would be capable of. Not even Han Xiao knew, as Black Spider had died early in the game as well—not this early though, of course.

How did he die?

Black Spider’s power might have been tricky to deal with, but there were still ways to deal with it. Since he had transcended flesh to become purely ‘soul’, one could simply damage his soul directly to cripple his wings. Still, superhumans with soul-damaging abilities were far and few in Galaxy, so most players remained incapable of killing him easily. This was why he was considered one of the ‘Hardest Bosses to Kill” in Version 1.0.

And of course, Black Spider considered himself so as well… until he met Hila.

Out of all the classes, Espers were the ones who possessed all sorts of extraordinary abilities. Unlike the other four superhuman classes, Espers only needed to consume gene awakening drugs instead of learning knowledge in order to unlock their abilities. Each character in Galaxy was given one chance to take the gene awakening drug, and if it failed, that character would never be able to switch classes to become an Esper again.

The success rate would depend on the type of gene awakening drug used, and as you might have guessed, this was indeed a pay-to-win feature.

Even the lowest grade gene awakening drugs went for as high as 398 dollars, and the [Ultra-Perfect-Deluxe Gene Awakening Elixir], the awakening drug with the highest success rate, was worth well over 5,000 dollars despite it only having an 18% success rate without guarantees.

It was truly a money spinner for the game’s company.

Previously, Han Xiao had also tried his hand at switching to an Esper. Unfortunately, the only result that he arrived at was that Esper players were all filthy rich.

Black Spider quickly calmed down and threatened, “I have unlimited copies. Even if you destroy this body, you won’t be able to kill me! Mark my words! I will definitely hunt you down for the rest of your lives!”

Lambert was about to raise his gun when Han Xiao hurriedly stopped him.

“Follow my instructions…”

As Li Ya Lin listened to Han Xiao, she suddenly began to act high and all-knowing as she replied to Black Spider, “Unlimited copies? Stop trying to scare people. You can have at most have 50 bodies! Apart from the 10 here, the rest are scattered across the globe!”

Black Spider’s eyes grew wide with disbelief. Figuring out the nature of his powers was one thing, but to actually know such secret information? How was that possible‽ Black Spider’s mind was racing.

Someone knows everything about my powers!

Who? Who could it be?

Could it be… an Esper who can read minds?

Li Ya Lin continued, “As long as we don’t kill this copy of you, we can lock you up for as long as we want!”

Black Spider’s face changed, and he immediately attempted to bite his own tongue off to avoid his impending fate. Unfortunately, Lambert was a step faster, and he managed to restrain him.

Unable to even end his own life, Black Spider could only glare hatefully at Li Ya Lin.

At this point in time, the trio had the same questions in their mind.

Who exactly is Han Xiao?

Why does Division 13 treat his identity with such secrecy?

How does he possess such secretive information?

…

A cleanup crew soon arrived to put a straitjacket over Black Spider and take him back.

At the same time, Han Xiao, who was relaxing in the faraway base, received a mission completion notification.

_____________________

You have completed the E-Class mission, ‘Black Spider’, earning 5,000 experience.

You have fulfilled the secret condition: “Take Black Spider in Alive”, earning 40,000 experience or a Soul Stabilizer.

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

The Soul Stabilizer had the effect of raising spiritual resistance, granting the user immunity to mental and spiritual attacks. It was a piece of equipment that was particularly useful against magic users.

As there were no mages or psychics on Aquamarine, the Soul Stabilizer was not really of much use to Han Xiao for now, so he naturally selected the more practical reward of 40,000 experience.

What about Hila, you ask? That would still be thinking too far ahead.

Not bad at all. Han Xiao smiled to himself.

…

The trio finally arrived back at the secret-ops HQ. Li Ya Lin rushed into the room and asked Han Xiao with wide, curious eyes, “How did you know that Black Spider was a superhuman?”

Han Xiao laughed enigmatically.

“I’ll tell you for one million dollars,” he offered, frustrating Li Ya Lin.

“Whatever. Oh right, what are we going to do about him?”

Li Yao shook his head.

“I heard that the higher-ups want to send him to Death’s Door Island and lock him up forever.”

Death’s Door Island was a maximum security prison that the Six Nations established together. It was located in the middle of an ocean, making it impossible to escape from. Only those that the Six Nations deemed the most dangerous were sent there—evil individuals, warlords of the Wanderers Army, and other important figureheads.

Death’s Door Island was so named as a sentence to the island was essentially a death sentence, except that it was worse—death would actually be an escape.

Han Xiao was pleased with the arrangement, as there was truly no other way to keep him from coming after them for revenge.

At the end of the day, the team’s first operation together was a perfect success, and after tidying up, everyone made their own way home.

Han Xiao, too, was about to leave when, suddenly, Feng Jun came up to him with a worried look.

“Internal affairs wants to ask you a few questions.”

“Haven’t I proved my trustworthiness?” asked Han Xiao.

“The internal affairs department appealed for a second interrogation. As it is within reason for them to do so, the higher-ups did not object. As you know, your previous identity is a sensitive topic.”

“The higher-ups are split in two on the matter of yourself,” he added softly. “While departments like intelligence and logistics think a friendly relationship is more beneficial, the hardliners led by internal affairs think otherwise.”

Han Xiao sighed. Where there is people there will be conflict.

…

At internal affairs, Han Xiao had his height and weight taken again before being brought to an interrogation room, where a sole investigator awaited him.

“Name.”

“Han Xiao.”

“Gender.”

“Female.”

The veins on the investigator’s temple bulged.

“Age.”

“30… no, I mean 31.”

Bang!

The investigator slammed the table.

“Stop playing a fool!”

“Why ask all these pointless things? Can we just go straight to the point?”

“Continue. Family relationships,” the investigator continued through gritted teeth.

“I’m an orphan. No relatives.”

“Where were you born?”

“Mt. Buzhou.”

“Nonsense! We didn’t find any record of your birth!”

“Go ask your superior,” Han Xiao replied plainly.

Obviously, the higher-ups would not divulge Han Xiao’s information to a normal member of staff. This interrogation was simply the internal affairs department’s idea of giving him a warning.

The investigator was being given instructions through his earpiece, and he suppressed his anger to proceed with the psychological assessment.

The investigator gave Han Xiao a number of hypothetical scenarios for him to say what he would do in each of them. Han Xiao, however, was not cooperative and gave random answers.

…

Finally, the interrogation ended.

As the investigator sealed the compiled information in an envelope, he coldly told Han Xiao, “The internal affairs department is always watching you. Pray we don’t find anything on you.”

“So you mean you currently have nothing, and can’t take any action against me?” taunted Han Xiao, before leaving the room in high spirits.

The investigator’s face instantly darkened, and his hands shook with fury as he clutched the envelope.

On his way back to the workshop, Han Xiao thought about how to go about starting his business in Division 13.

The first thing he would need to do was to get his name out there. Pulling out his phone, he made a call to Li Ya Lin to ask for her help. After some negotiation, she agreed to help him out on the condition of a lifetime 20% discount.

However, there was still a problem—the workshop was not well equipped for Han Xiao’s plans, so he would not be able to carry out mass production. After thinking things through, he decided that he had no choice but to speak to Lu Qian directly.

…

“Sister Qian, I have something to say.”

Lu Qian shivered.

‘It was unavoidable all along,’ she thought to herself, ‘but now I am mentally prepared!’

“There’s something I want to tell you,” continued Han Xiao. “Actually, I-”

Suddenly, Lu Qian turned to face him and bowed resolutely.

“S-sorry, but I have to reject you. Please don’t get me wrong, you are a good person.”

The atmosphere instantly stiffened.

Han Xiao’s eyelids twitched. Although he actually did not even have any intention of wooing her, being rejected in such a manner still left a bad taste in his mouth.

“…”

“You misunderstand. I just want to refit the workshop and install an independent workroom for my own use. My friend has lent me the money. What do you think? It’s like a small upgrade.”

Lu Qian gave a start and started to blush. She felt like she was about to die from embarrassment.

“Okay, fine. I agree,” she replied before running upstairs.

“Ahhhh! That was so embarrassing!”

Han Xiao rolled his eyes. He suspected that she probably did not even hear him clearly.

…

Han Xiao drew up a proposal for his upgrades and passed it to Feng Jun to get it approved by the higher-ups.

As Division 13 valued Han Xiao highly, and it was a perfectly reasonable request, it was immediately passed, and construction workers soon arrived at the workshop.

Two days later, there was now a new mini workshop right next to the main building. As Division 13 had fully paid for it, it would be more accurate to say that Han Xiao was borrowing it, and under his request, they had also built an underground space for his convenience.

Over the next few days, Han Xiao received many orders for the Retractable Knife.

Although all of his clients were Division 13 agents, Han Xiao preferred not to meet with any of them directly just in case. He instead relied on Li Ya Lin to act as a middleman.

The materials were sent directly to Han Xiao’s workshop, and he crafted dozens of Retractable Knives over the next few days, earning him quite a lot of experience, some of which he used to raise Mechanic Affinity to the highest level, thereby gaining another talent point.

Back in Division 13, word that Li Ya Lin’s team had acquired a mechanic named Han Xiao—and that he was open to private orders—spread like wildfire.

As a result, the amount of orders he received skyrocketed, and Han Xiao found himself barely able to meet the demand. Nonetheless, thanks to this, he was able to earn tons of experience each day.

Unlike in his previous life, there were no competitors, so Han Xiao had the entire market to himself.

Han Xiao only intended to take orders for both the Retractable Knife, and High-explosive Gunpowder, but he made an exception to craft a Lightweight Mecha Arm for Li Ya Lin.

While the Retractable Knife was indeed selling like hot pancakes, Han Xiao knew that its popularity would soon fizzle out. After all, most people were only buying it for its novelty. Moreover, as its design wasn’t really that complex at all, it wouldn’t be strange for imitations and similar products to appear in the near future.

As such, Han Xiao had planned all along to only use it to earn a quick buck. Comparatively, the [High-explosive Gunpowder] had more promising potential. Not only was it inexpensive, it was extremely useful, and being a consumable, clients would keep on returning for more.

Furthermore, unlike the retractable knife, [High Explosive Gunpowder] would not be easily replicated—as soon as the bullet cap was opened, the gunpowder would react with air to combust and leave no trace. It was essentially impossible to craft without the blueprints and manufacturing process for the planet’s current technology.

Han Xiao used the money he earned from the Retractable Knife each day to purchase large quantities of materials for making [High-explosive Gunpowder]. He only planned to push it out into the market after accumulating a stockpile.

…

One day, when Old Lu and the tall old man were having one of their ‘chess sessions’, Han Xiao saw the tall old man and came up to him.

“Is the prosthetic good to use?” he asked, smiling.

“Not bad,” the tall old man laughed and rolled up his sleeve. The prosthetic arm had been fitted with a layer of artificial skin, making it seem extremely realistic.

“As long as you like it. If it needs maintenance, feel free to come to me.”

The tall old man nodded and asked, “I heard from Old Lu that you joined Division 13?”

“Yes, I did.”

“What a promising young lad. Do your best for the country,” he applauded.

Han Xiao smirked inwardly. The tall old man did not know that he knew who he was.

Working for Division 13 was not a huge secret to keep. After all, the division had a front cover. Ordinary people had heard of a Division 13, but they simply knew it as a company.

As they conversed, Han Xiao wondered when the tall old man would come clean with him and if he should act surprised when he did.

Suddenly, Feng Jun entered the workshop in a hurry and said to Han Xiao with a grave expression, “Let’s go outside for a talk.”

As Han Xiao’s caretaker, Feng Jun always kept a small team around the compound to monitor the workshop, mainly to keep an eye out for any Germinal Organization operatives.

As they stepped outside, the tall old man wondered what had happened.

“The research department has their eyes on you!”

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“The research department is tasked with inventing new weapons and equipment. They have the power to perform risk assessment on any equipment we use. Using the claim that your Retractable Knife is dangerous to use, they are demanding that you cough up the blueprints! As they have the right to do so, the other departments are unable to interfere.”

‘So they want my blueprints!

‘Risk assessment? What a joke!’

Han Xiao snorted coldly. If he handed them the blueprints for the Retractable Knife, they would immediately begin mass production of it!

Feng Jun proceeded to enlighten Han Xiao on the internal strife in Division 13. The research department and internal affairs were both on the side of the hardliners, and essentially hostile towards him.

As the research department had not produced many results over the past few years, their budget was continuously slashed every year. In Division 13, their standing was even lower than that of the logistics department, which was why they were now targeting Han Xiao’s blueprints. They were truly desperate.

“And what if I refuse?”

“You will be blacklisted by them, and it will reflect on your record. The good thing is that you are not an ordinary agent, and the Division values your intel highly, so it should not cause you many problems; after all, the research department can’t really force you due to your position.”

“Then that’s fine. I won’t give them the blueprints,” said Han Xiao as he shook his head.

Feng Jun laughed bitterly. He had come knowing that Han Xiao would most likely refuse.

Although the Retractable Knife would end up being over-saturated in the market, it was still earning him a lot for the time being. Naturally, Han Xiao would not give it up.

The tall old man made a phone call to someone in Division 13. When he learnt of what had transpired, his face darkened.

“A bunch of greedy imbeciles! All they do is stir up nonsense!”

That Han Xiao was able to achieve an amicable relationship with Division 13 was something that the tall old man had played a huge role in. Now, however, there were people within the division itself who were clumsily undermining his efforts! What if Han Xiao became averse to the division and decided to pack up and leave‽ Then, all of his thoughts and efforts would have been in vain.

“The gall of them!”

“Unbelievable!”

Li Ya Lin was enraged to hear of the research department’s plot, mainly because she was worried about her 20% discount.

“This is the higher ups’ game,” said Li Yao. “We can’t do anything about it.”

“Might as well get rid of that research department head,” suggested Lambert plainly as he polished his daggers.

Li Yao gave a start.

“Uncle! Don’t say that kind of thing!”

“Well, that seems like one way to solve things…” mumbled Li Ya Lin in deep thought, sending Li Yao to the verge of tears.

Even if you guys don’t want to live, I still want to live! he thought to himself.

Although Han Xiao had only joined them a few days ago, after the Black Spider operation, the trio had fully accepted him as their comrade. Naturally, they were displeased to hear of his predicament.

“Why not ask for his opinion directly?” asked Li Yao.

“His address is top secret, and his phone is always off!” scowled Li Ya Lin. “Who knows where he could be…”

“Then what should we do? How can we just watch him suffer at the hands of the research department?”

“Wait,” Lambert abruptly interjected.

Footsteps could be heard, and a few seconds later, a woman appeared at the door.

“Hey, Lin Lin, I heard that your new teammate is quite the troublemaker.”

The woman was short-haired, and a beauty in her own right. However, her voice was derisive, and she looked down on the trio antagonistically as she leaned against the door with folded arms.

The woman’s skin was extremely fair, and her lips were exceedingly red, as though the petals of a rose. She possessed a flirtatious temperament, and although she was tall, the strength of her aura did not seem to pale against Li Ya Lin’s. Although Li Ya Lin was unquestionably prettier, the woman was, without a doubt, more of a head turner than her.

Li Ya Lin’s face immediately darkened at the sight of her.

“Vixen Su,” she growled through gritted teeth, “are you looking for a fight?”

Di Su Su giggled tauntingly.

“If you dare.”

Di Su Su and Li Ya Lin were well known to be hated rivals. The bad blood between them could be traced all the way back to when they were fellow disciples of a dojo in their childhood. While Di Su Su always excelled in each of their tests and fights, Li Ya Lin’s performance was always average, and she was always easily defeated by her.

Even until this day, Li Ya Lin would sometimes be reminded of the way that she would put on a pretense in front of everyone and act nice to her despite them detesting each other. While everyone would praise Di Su Su and offer her guidance, Li Ya Lin’s conversations with their master always end in a few sentences, and he would always just ask her to follow Di Su Su’s example.

Recalling those events always dampened Li Ya Lin’s mood. Her master essentially treated her like an abandoned dog in the rain.

The two would eventually both end up joining Division 13, but only for history to repeat itself. Di Su Su’s always outperformed Li Ya Lin’s team, and her team became the ace of secret ops. What Li Ya Lin hated most was how Di Su Su would frequently come over to mock her, and the way she called her ‘Lin Lin’!

Bitch! Since when were we close?

Di Su Su was obviously doing it on purpose, and while Li Ya Lin knew this, it still got on her nerves.

“Hehe,” Di Su Su laughed softly. “I heard that you guys have a new addition, so I came specially to look for him. Where is he? He can’t have gone to hide, right?”

“He’s not here,” replied Li Ya Lin coldly. “Get lost.”

“Looks like I’ve made a wasted trip, but I guess that’s understandable, since he’s busy being destroyed by the research department.”

Li Ya Lin stared at her.

“Hurry up and get lost!”

“How heartless.” Di Su Su pouted. “We’re childhood sweethearts, after all.”

She shot a look towards Li Yao before sauntering off.

Li Ya Lin was already frustrated, but when she turned around to see Li Yao all intoxicated, her anger swelled. She stood up abruptly to grab Li Yao by his collar.

“Is this beautiful woman right beside you not enough‽” she yelled. “Why are you looking at that vixen‽”

“B-b-but,” stammered Li Yao, 'she smiled at me…”

“You had better give me a good answer: is she more beautiful or am I?” she asked threateningly.

For some reason, Li Yao still had to take a moment to think before he replied, “I think… that Sister Su Su is gentler than you…”

“Humph, Li Yao! I think that your brain needs some adjustment!

“Reverse-avalanche-bridge-breaking suplex!”

As Lambert casually sipped on the cup of water in his hand, he picked his phone up to make a call.

“Get a doctor over here—a bone specialist, preferably.”

…

The research department had expected Han Xiao to refuse their demands.

To mechanics, blueprints were like their lifeline.

They did not care about Han Xiao’s personal gain, or rather, that was to be expected, as the hardliners were hostile to him from the very start. In their eyes, giving Han Xiao the chance to cooperate was a soft move, and he should have been locked up and controlled instead.

On the other hand, the conservatives thought exactly the opposite. They were willing to give Han Xiao the benefit of the doubt as he seemed trustworthy and was cooperative. Why cause unrest and animosity over a simple beginner equipment blueprint?

What if he wasn’t scared of torture?

Division 13 had tried all sorts of methods on captured Germinal members before, but torture seldom worked, and nine out of ten would give false intel that was harmful instead of beneficial.

Besides, Han Xiao was a truly unique case.

As such, the conservatives, too, were outraged at the pressure that the hardliners were trying to put on Han Xiao. They saw them as a bunch of outdated, old farts. Times had changed, and talent was in high demand—Division 13 should have been treasuring him, not pressuring him.

Weren’t there other mechanics in the division too? Stealing Han Xiao’s work would reflect poorly on the division.

What year was it? All the talk about loyalty and what not would only serve to chase away prospects and talents seeking refuge. Don’t forget that the Six Nations was the main culprit for the destruction of all the other countries! It would not be surprising if these foreign talents just up and rebelled!

Unfortunately, as Division 13 was extremely compartmentalized, only the top brass would be able to interfere with the research department’s actions, but they seemed to only be interested in continuing to observe for now.

The research department was offering high amounts of cash to the agents for the Retractable Knives that they had bought from Han Xiao, which everyone saw through as a low move.

As most of the agents did not know of Han Xiao’s special status, most felt that it was unreasonable to bully an ordinary mechanic so, and they decided not to turn in the knives. Doing so would also be, in some sense, disrespectful to Han Xiao.

However, there were still some who turned them in for the money.

Korat was the first agent to strike a deal with the research department. He asked for 30,000 dollars—thirty times more than the opening offer—and the research department relented.

His reasoning was simple—it was simply worth the money. While most of the agents held on to their morals, he laughed at them for being fools to pass up the opportunity.

It’s just a small-time mechanic anyway, who even cares? Just wait till the research department mass produces it if you really want it.

…

In the research department, Luo Xuan and the head secretary were examining the retractable knife.

“Luo Xuan, can you reproduce it?”

“Piece of cake. This thing isn’t even well made; plus, it’s not encrypted.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you. If you can figure out the blueprints, I’ll pull you over into our department. Of course, your position will be higher.”

Luo Xuan’s eyes lit up. Since his debacle over the mecha arm, he had started to feel that he did not have a future in logistics.

If he could gain the favor of the higher-ups again, he would definitely be able to surpass that blasted Han Xiao!

…

Back at the workshop, Han Xiao had moved into the new building for convenience sake.

The arrangement brought Lu Qian some relief as things were still awkward between the pair.

“Whoosh.”

Hot steam gushed out as Han Xiao, who was wearing a heat-resistant suit, opened the furnace lid. He proceeded to use a pair of iron tongs to pick up a piece of glowing hot metal from within.

For now, there were two options available to Han Xiao for making the Retractable Knives—molding or stamping.

While both methods had their own advantages, the latter allowed for mass production with a higher success rate, so Han Xiao favored it.

The selling point of the Retractable Knife was its concealability. Since practicality was more important than the quality of craftsmanship, Han Xiao did not bother to put much detail into making them.

The metal sheets that he used for stamping were provided by Division 13, so they were top grade. Han Xiao had polished the metal sheet with a chemical spray before putting it into the furnace. After taking it out of the furnace, he set it under the stamping machine. Of course, he still had to carry out a few more steps before the knives were complete.

Each Retractable Knife gave him 100-200 experience, and the level of the blueprint itself had been increased to Lv. 2, giving the final product a slightly higher quality.

When he was done, Han Xiao stepped out of the heat-resistant suit and wiped the sweat off his brow. After examining the newly made knives, he proceeded to work on some workshop orders.

Midway, Han Xiao’s phone rang. He picked up his phone to see that it was Li Ya Lin.

“Something bad has happened! All the agents want to cancel their orders!”

“What happened‽” Han Xiao was shocked by the news.

“The research department has reverse-engineered the Retractable Knife, and they announced that they will proceed with mass production very soon and make it available to everyone!”

Although everyone could see how blatantly underhanded the research department was being, since they were going to be provided with free Retractable Knives, it was only natural for them to want to cancel their orders with Han Xiao.

The Retractable Knife’s profitability had run its course.

Han Xiao sat in deep thought. He had not expected the research department to be so brazen. Although Han Xiao had already known that something like this would happen, he did not expect them to take action so fast.

While giving up the blueprints voluntarily would earn him some faction reputation, he would not be able to earn any experience.

In any case, they were putting a dent in Han Xiao plans to get stronger.

Han Xiao picked up his phone to make a call to Feng Jun.

“I assume you’ve heard?” he asked in a low voice.

Feng Jun sighed.

“The research department is really too much. The higher-ups haven’t even given them permission, and they’ve already leaked that they will mass produce the Retractable Knife.”

Han Xiao frowned.

“Fill me in on the details.”

Feng Jun proceeded to tell Han Xiao about Korat and Luo Xuan.

“Has the research department given an official statement?”

“Not yet.”

Han Xiao’s face darkened. Looks like the research department did not even intend to give him an explanation.

How the research department dared to act was one thing, but the higher-ups definitely understood exactly what was going on. Han Xiao speculated that the reason they had not granted or denied the research department permission yet was to test how he would react. If he let the research department trample over him, it could be the green light for them to stop playing nice with him.

Of course, that was an extreme line of thought.

The top brass definitely won’t side with either faction. As long as I don’t push things too far, they will have to act accordingly and compensate me.

A thought suddenly occurred to Han Xiao.  This could be my chance to obtain advancement knowledge!

However, as advancement knowledge was top secret, it would not be so simple to just mention it casually.

A plan began to formulate in Han Xiao’s mind.

Rob me in broad daylight? I’ll teach you all that I’m not that easy to bully!

…

In the Research Department…

“Heh heh. Well done, well done.” The research department’s head secretary was full of praise for Luo Xuan.

Luo Xuan smiled plainly, but in truth he was suppressing his delight.

“The department head thinks highly of you. We’ve already requested all the necessary information and documents from the logistics department. You can already be counted as our staff.”

“What about the… promotion?”

“The department head specifically instructed that you will lead your own team. Your clearance will also be raised. Keep up the good work and there will be nothing to worry about.”

Luo Xuan’s smile widened.

“I heard that Han Xiao is valued highly by the higher-ups. Will there be any problem?” he asked.

“Relax, I have inside information. There is nothing he can do.”

News of the conflict between the research department and Han Xiao spread throughout Division 13 like wildfire. As everyone thought Han Xiao to be an ordinary mechanic, the outcome seemed obvious.

Over the next few days, Han Xiao showed no signs of action, so it became apparent that he had, as expected, decided to swallow it.

Nonetheless, it still remained a mystery as to why the research department would pick on a normal staff member so much.

Li Ya Lin also suffered from the incident due to her involvement with Han Xiao, and while she kept on trying to call Han Xiao to speak to him, the line always failed to get through.

Of course, Han Xiao was not going to let things end like that. While he had not made his move yet, that was because his preparations were not complete.

Han Xiao had previously made about $100,000 from selling the Retractable Knives, $30,000 of which was used to purchase materials for High-explosive Gunpowder.

Over the last few days, he had used another $30,000 of materials to make a huge batch of Retractable Knives—100 in total.

“That should be enough.”

Han Xiao had just finished with the hundredth knife, and he went to look for a crate to store them all in before leaving Division 13.

As the threat of war loomed, guns were heavily regulated in the Six Nations. It was in fact illegal for civilians to possess any, which was why Han Xiao had gotten rid of his guns before entering the city.

Nonetheless, there were illegal arms dealers situated all across the Six Nations. Neutral vendors such as these were implemented in Galaxy as a way for players to purchase equipment and intel as they carried out infiltration and assassination missions in enemy nations.

Naturally, Han Xiao knew exactly where these vendors were located.

Han Xiao was headed to District 8 to look for an arms dealer named Ma Xiu Si. Ma Xiu Si was an operative for the Fabian Company, a global powerhouse in the arms market who sold everything from guns to jets. Under the table, they even did business with the Six Nations themselves and the Revolutionary Army.

…

Han Xiao easily found Ma Xiu Si, who was more than happy to entertain him when Han Xiao opened up the crate of Retractable Knives before him and began to explain their usage.

Ma Xiu Si was experienced in the black market, so he instantly recognized the Retractable Knife’s worth. While conventional melee weapons were not much of a money spinner, the Retractable Knife’s concealability and element of surprise would definitely be favored by many.

Han Xiao expressed his wish to sell the whole crate.

“Can you supply them long-term?” asked Ma Xiu Si.

Han Xiao chuckled.

“Would you be interested in the blueprint?”

Ma Xiu Si’s eyes widened. Blueprints were extremely important items to mechanics. They essentially gave their owners monopoly over their inventions. It was extremely rare that a mechanic would offer to sell one of his blueprints, so Ma Xiu Si was not only shocked but overjoyed.

As he was a veteran salesman, however, he suppressed the excitement boiling within.

“Name your price,” he asked casually.

“There’s a hundred here. 5,000 each, and I’ll sell you the blueprint for a million.”

Ma Xiu Si gasped lightly. ‘5,000 each? A million for the blueprint? Just rob me, will you‽’

“No bargaining.”

Han Xiao was confident that Ma Xiu Si would agree to his terms.

Ma Xiu Si frowned, but after a while of contemplation, he relented.

“Deal!”

Being able to obtain the blueprint was far too lucrative a chance to miss.

As the banks of each of the Six Nations were not connected to one another, dark web banking was the primary method of transaction in the underworld. Not only was it accessible worldwide, it was also extremely secure.

Han Xiao performed fingerprint verification for the account on the spot.

“I look forward to doing more business with you. This is a VIP card.”

Han Xiao took the card from Ma Xiu Si and kept it.

Fostering good relations with these arms dealers would prove useful in the long run as he did not plan to stay in Division 13 forever.

…

Back in Division 13, the research director encountered the intelligence director in the hallway.

“Looks like you guys have chosen to support a good-for-nothing,” mocked the research director. “He caved in so easily to a little bit of pressure. Take my advice—stop playing nice with him.”

For some reason, the intelligence director was not enraged by his words. He simply smiled back.

“Good luck,” he replied plainly as he patted the research director on the shoulder.

The research director was confused. ‘Good luck? What do you mean?’

Suddenly, his phone rang. The division chief was looking for him. He hastily bumbled his way to the chief’s office.

“Chief, you called?”

“Your plans were approved yesterday. The Retractable Knife will be credited to your department.”

The research director was overjoyed to hear the news.

“Thank you for your trust, chief.”

The chief chuckled.

“Don’t be happy so soon.”

The research director furrowed his brows.

“What happened? If it’s about Han Xiao, there won’t be a problem. There’s nothing he can do.”

“Oh, you think so?” questioned the chief.

The research director nodded.

“Good…”

Suddenly, the chief picked up a folder and threw it in the research director’s face.

“To think that you would abuse your power to sell the division’s technology for personal gain! How disappointing.”

What‽

The research director was flustered. He hastily scrambled to pick up the document on the floor, and as he went through it, he began to tremble.

The report stated that the blueprint for the Retractable Knife had been leaked, and that, naturally, the ‘inventor’ of the Retractable Knife would have to take responsibility for it.

“T-t-this is not my fault!” he cried out. “It must be that brat, Han Xiao! He is obviously trying to frame me! Everyone knows that the blueprint belonged to him, please help me clear my name, Chief!”

“The report clearly states that the research department invented the Retractable Knife,” replied the chief coolly. “It is your responsibility.”

The research director felt a chill run down his spine as he suddenly realized what was going on.

The top brass had chosen to back up Han Xiao!

The reason why the verdict on their proposal was delayed for so long was simply that the higher-ups wanted to wait and see what Han Xiao would do.

And Han Xiao had managed to play everyone.

By leaking the blueprint, he was asking the higher ups, ‘Here is the excuse you need. Do you want to help me or not?’

While they had not expected Han Xiao to come up with such a brilliant comeback to frame the research department, they were more than willing to help him out to appease him. After all, they did want to continue having his cooperation.

Originally, Han Xiao’s Retractable Knife would have been exclusive to Division 13, even if it meant that he himself had the monopoly over it, but thanks to the research department’s greed, the Retractable Knife would now appear in the hands of others too.

While Han Xiao’s actions might have been a little bit extreme, the higher-ups were willing to overlook it. The blueprint was rightfully his anyway.

Of course, if it had been a normal agent, they would without a doubt send him to court martial and expel him from Division 13. It was Han Xiao’s unique identity that stopped them from doing so. The intel he possessed was truly far too valuable. In any case, he had not stepped entirely out of line yet.

Furthermore, it was important to display the Division’s fairness to everyone.

At this point, the research director’s face had turned completely pale. He deeply regretted having tried to pick on Han Xiao.

While the ‘crime’ itself was not grave to the point of a death sentence, his career was essentially over.

Han Xiao, you bastard! he screamed inwardly.

…

When news of the research director being charged with selling weapons illegally broke out, all the agents in Division 13 were filled with disbelief.

The fact that he was not immediately sentenced heavily hinted that there was more to the entire incident than met the eye.

It did not take long for the agents to put two and two together and arrive at the unbelievable conclusion that Han Xiao had orchestrated it all.

Previously, they thought that Han Xiao had kept quiet due to caving in, but in retrospect, it was simply the calm before the storm.

“Did he actually frame the research director?”

“The gall of him!”

“But doesn’t that mean that the higher-ups are supporting him‽”

What everyone found hardest to believe was that Han Xiao actually got off scot-free. This caused a lot of speculation regarding his true identity to arise.

And the person happiest to hear the news was none other than Li Ya Lin, who was vindicated from all the odd looks that people had been giving here due to her connection to Han Xiao. The first thing that she did was look for Di Su Su and gloat in front of her. However, Di Su Su was not the least angered by her. Instead, she was more preoccupied with her newly found interest in Han Xiao.

“Who exactly is Lin Lin’s new teammate?”

…

The research director was only given a strict warning for now, and, unable to touch Han Xiao, his men suffered the brunt of his rage. Of course, Luo Xuan was not spared. Instead of his promised promotion, what he earned was a demotion to the position of an ordinary staff member.

“Damn it!” cursed Luo Xuan.

If he had known things would turn out like this, he would have obediently continued on in the logistics department. It was also now too late, as the logistics director was not even willing to grant him an audience.

This is unfair!

Why do they want to protect Han Xiao?

How is he better than me‽

Luo Xuan was blinded with rage.

…

The next day, Han Xiao received word from Feng Jun that the higher-ups wanted to discuss the matter of settlement with him.

Finally, the chance for Han Xiao to negotiate had come. Han Xiao knew that in the future, the hardliners would not carelessly take action against him again, so it was probably the one time that he would be able to acquire advancement knowledge.

Han Xiao arrived at the HQ with his mask on as usual to meet with Feng Jun. Feng Jun led him to the chief’s office where three people waited: the chief himself, the research director, and an old man who was faced against the glass window.

“Gu Hui, Stardragon Strategic Defense Chief,” introduced the chief.

Han Xiao squinted. It was a familiar name, but he could not recall where he had heard it.

“Someone wants to see you,” Gu Hui continued in a low voice.

The old man turned around and smiled at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao’s acting skills immediately kicked in.

“Tall, old man‽”

The tall old man chuckled.

“It must be quite a surprise.”

“Who exactly are you?” asked Han Xiao as he nodded blankly, similar to how he had once acted back in the Germinal Organization.

“All you need to know is that I have some power in Division 13.”

“…”

“Heh. Don’t be so nervous. I’ve already noticed you from back then. You gave me quite a favorable impression.”

Mission accomplished!

As Han Xiao wiped the confusion off his face, the tall old man scrutinized him for a second before slowly saying, “Tell me, how do you want this matter resolved?”

“I just want some compensation,” Han Xiao stated calmly.

“Isn’t the money you earned from selling the blueprint enough compensation?” The research director could not resist shooting his mouth off.

Han Xiao shot a look at him.

“If not for you trying to steal my blueprint, I would have been able to make even more money. And if you had even tried asking nicely, I might have even sold it to the division! But ask yourself – did you?”

The research director could not retort.

“What kind of compensation do you want?” asked Gu Hui.

Han Xiao faked a sigh and pretended to contemplate for a moment before replying, “I don’t want something like this to happen again.”

“That’s for sure.”

In any case, even if Han Xiao only chose to sell his goods privately, he would still only be selling to Division 13’s own agents. While the quantity would not be as much as if they were mass produced, they still only benefited the division. Furthermore… what if more valuable blueprints ended up ‘leaking’?

“And…” continued Han Xiao as he rubbed his chin. “I want to have a look at advanced mechanic knowledge.”

The tall old man furrowed his brows. Was it a coincidence, or had Han Xiao planned to ask for it from the very start?

Advanced mechanic knowledge was top-secret in Stardragon, and only accessible with a level 5 or higher clearance. In Galaxy, the equivalent requirement was an ‘honored’ reputation. Each of the Six Nations and the Germinal Organization possessed different kinds of advanced knowledge, but only the most trusted and deserving would have a chance to obtain them.

Although Han Xiao appeared calm and firm on the outside, he was actually extremely nervous. Such a request would normally be impossible to ask of. Now, it all depended on the tall, old man.

“Why advanced knowledge?”

“Just curious.”

“…”

After five minutes of tense silence, the tall old man made up his mind. As he looked deeply into Han Xiao’s eyes, he slowly spoke, “Fine, I will allow it.”

Han Xiao was instantly overcome with relief and joy, but he suppressed his emotions.

Suddenly, the research director interrupted, “Hold on! Advanced knowledge requires a level 5 clearance. This is against the rules!”

Han Xiao’s mouth twitched.

If this bastard dares to spoil my plans, I’ll beat him into a pulp!

“What do you suggest then?” Gu Hui asked unhappily.

“Rules are rules. Although you, senior, are okay with it, I hardly think that the others will agree.”

The tall old man smirked.

“Are you threatening me?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” answered the research director matter-of-factly.

There were two levels of hierarchy in Division 13. Besides the thirteen section heads, there existed a higher committee comprised of the chief himself and other high-ranking officials who wielded enormous influence in Stardragon.

The tall, old man was none other than one of the higher-ranking members, and he was the leader of the conservatives. Naturally, the hardliners had an equally powerful backer, which was why the research head dared to speak up.

“My word alone will suffice,” declared the tall old man plainly.

The research head gritted his teeth. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

“Then, I suggest granting him only half an hour of browsing. He doesn’t even have the proper clearance anyway.”

Gu Hui and the tall old man exchanged looks. This was a fair suggestion. Besides, Han Xiao himself had only asked to ‘take a look’.

“We’ll give you one hour!” declared Gu Hui.

The research head rejoiced secretly. Even an hour would not be enough time to look through a third of the advanced knowledge.

Deep down, however, Han Xiao was laughing.

One hour? Watch me take one minute with my talent points!

He had to bite his lip to stop himself from grinning.

Calm down… calm down…

…

The advanced knowledge was protected with an extremely secure multi-layered encryption. The code to unlocking it was a combined series of over a hundred 48-digit strings that were refreshed constantly.

The contents itself were only able to be browsed by using a special terminal.

Han Xiao was brought by Gu Hui to take an elevator to a secret basement. When the lift doors opened, Han Xiao was greeted by the sight of a brightly lit metallic hallway lined throughout with surveillance cameras on either side. While there were no guards, the corridor was full of metal detectors and red lasers, and there were guns concealed behind the walls. They would activate automatically upon unauthorized entry.

It was a fortress in its own right.

“How much did you guys spend on this corridor?”

“A few billion,” Gu Hui calmly answered.

Han Xiao let out a soft snort.

The terminal was Stardragon’s most advanced computer. The amount of data that it could process in just one second alone could overload a regular computer. It contained all of the nation’s top secrets.

Han Xiao guessed that even if he maxed his ‘Computing’ talent, it would not be enough to hack through the terminal’s firewall.

It took an entire five minutes to walk across the entire stretch of the hallway, and, as they approached the end, a spherical room appeared in Han Xiao’s view. A transparent passageway connected the hallway to the center of the sphere where a screen could be seen. There was also a panel connected with a mouse and a keyboard. This was the interface of the terminal.

As they stepped into the room, Han Xiao noticed that there were actually countless optical fibers and advanced looking computer parts laid inside the glass – the entire room was actually the terminal!

Han Xiao, however, was not impressed.

“Why is the air here so stale? Did you guys forget the ventilation or something?”

Gu Hui’s eye twitched.

He calmed himself down and replied, “That is the interface. The preparations have been made. You will not be able to access any other information apart from the advanced knowledge. For the sake of protocol, I will remind you that we will be watching, and you had better not try anything funny.”

Got it, I won’t make you laugh.

Han Xiao nodded and proceeded to walk to the panel.

The terminal prompted him for a search input, so he typed in “advancement knowledge”, and several results appeared on the screen:

Esper Advanced Knowledge: [DNA – Strengthened Energy Level]

Esper Advanced Knowledge: [DNA – Strengthened Control]

Pugilist Advanced Knowledge: [Shockwave Burst]

Pugilist Advanced Knowledge: [Wave Control]

In Galaxy, talent trees were named slightly different for each class: Machinery Knowledge Tree for Mechanics, Qi Mastery Tree for Pugilists, DNA Tree for Espers, Spell Knowledge Tree for Mages, and Psychic Ability Tree for Psychics.

Pugilists focused on strength and combat, and they practiced the art of qi. Some of their skills included [Energy Burst], which is self-explanatory, and [Wavedash], which allowed instantaneous dodging of attacks.

Although Pugilists across the universe practiced and employed different kinds of teachings and techniques, all of them were centered around the use of qi.

Espers were far more unique, as each of them possessed different kinds of supernatural powers. An Esper’s strength was determined by their DNA growth. Through leveling up their talents, their control over their powers would increase: power, speed, control, etc. For example, Magneto, when he was young, could only exert control over small objects like coins. However, as his powers developed, he became able to move entire stadiums and ultimately even control the very earth’s magnetic field. With sufficient time, an Esper’s potential could be said to be unlimited.

Of course, two Espers with the same superpower might not necessarily use them in the same ways. For example, not all electricity users would be able to emulate each other’s feats and applications of electricity manipulation. To some extent, in Galaxy, each player had to choose to ‘specialize’.

The screen before Han Xiao lit up.

_____________________

Mechanic Advanced Knowledge: Advanced Material Composition

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

“This is weaponry knowledge!”

Although it appeared that there was only one piece of advanced knowledge suited for Mechanics available, Han Xiao was happy enough to have it.

Now, no one in Stardragon will be able to stop me!

Han Xiao pressed enter without hesitation. Immediately, columns of texts and complex diagrams flashed across on the screen.

_____________________

Advanced knowledge detected.

[Advanced Material Composition]

Use 2 talent points to learn. Y/N

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

“Yes!”

Han Xiao began to grow dizzy as all the knowledge on the screen started to transmit into his brain.

_____________________

Learning in progress, do not cancel.

1%… 12%… 37%…

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Although the entire process only took a few seconds, it felt much longer to Han Xiao.

Suddenly, Han Xiao flung his head back. The ‘upload’ had been completed successfully.

_____________________

Success! You have learnt [Advanced Material Composition], unlocking advanced Weaponry talents!

[Lv. 20 Novice Mechanic Advancement Mission Complete]

You may now choose one of the following three advancements: Cannonmaster, Technician, or Warmachine.

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

These were the three paths available to Mechanics, and choosing one was an irreversible decision.

Cannonmasters specialized in long-ranged bombardment and heavy artillery. At higher levels, they possessed frightening firepower. It was commonly known in Galaxy that the key to winning or losing against Cannonmasters lay in range.

If the enemy Cannonmaster is within 100m, don’t hesitate—charge him down!

However, if he is over 1,000m away, it would be wise to proceed with caution.

And if he is 3,000m away… well, that won’t be the end of the world just yet, but any further and good luck, buddy.

Warmachines, on the other hand, employed technologically advanced combat weapons to fight at close range. From bio-armor to mobile suits, there were many ways for Warmachines to quench their thirst for melee combat.

Yet, when compared to the Technician, both of these paths steered away from the true essence of a Mechanic—invention.

Over 80% of blueprints were exclusive to Technicians, so choosing either path would mean forfeiting the ability to create many higher-level gear and machines.

The trade-off was that they were superior to Technicians in combat and, to most, more fun to play. After all, most people considered ‘manufacturing’ classes to be boring. Technicians were always the least popular class, until Version 3.0.

In Galaxy, Han Xiao had mained a Technician, preferring them to the other two paths, so he had already set his mind on the Technician path from the very start.

_____________________

Congratulations! You have succeeded in class advancement.

Han Xiao could feel an invisible, mysterious power wrapping around his body.

You are now a Technician (Lv. 1).

+30 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Endurance, +3 Intelligence

3 Attribute Points Gained

1 Talent Point Gained

You have completed the first advancement. Endurance stat-boost has increased:

1 Endurance = 15 Max HP

1 Endurance = 18 Stamina

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Although from start to end nothing appeared to have happened in the eyes of Gu Hui and the others, incredible changes had taken place within Han Xiao’s body. At present, the mysterious power enveloping him was not only granting him new power—it was awakening the dormant energy lying within his very cells, causing it to resonate.

Suddenly, the interface lit up.

_____________________

You have gained Energy Affinity: Metal!

You have acquired a new ability: Presence of Mind!

You have learnt Energy Training Technique!

You have learnt Intermediate Mechanic Affinity!

You have learnt Blueprint: Special Platinum Alloy!

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

When the process ended, Han Xiao felt as though his body had been entirely remodeled.

He could now see with stunning clarity the tiny specks of dust on the keyboard, and even the previously unnoticeable buzz of the current running throughout the glass sphere room was now clearly audible to him.

“I did it!”

Han Xiao brought up the character information tab.

____________________

Name: Han Xiao

Race: Human (Carbon-based)

Model: NPC (Launch countdown: 138 days, 3 hours & 51 minutes)

Level: 21

Experience: 181,000

Main Class: Lv. 10 Novice Mechanic/ Lv. 1 Apprentice Technician (0/50,000)

Health: 670/670

Stamina: 854/854

Attributes: 31 Strength, 18 Dexterity, 38 Endurance, 32 Intelligence, 1 MYS, 5 Charisma, 1 Luck

Unassigned Stat Point(s): 3

Energy: 160/160 (Lv. 3)

____________________

(NEW) Energy Type: Magnetic – Gives a Bonus to Machinery Affinity

Lv. 1 (10 Energy) – [Strength +1, Dexterity, +1, Endurance +1, Intelligence +1] Max Stamina +20, Damage (Machinery) +1%, Crafting Speed +1%

Lv. 2 (50 Energy) – [Strength +3, Dexterity, +2, Endurance +3, Intelligence +1] Max Stamina +50, Damage (Machinery) +2%, Crafting Speed +2%

Lv. 3 (100 Energy) – [Strength +3, Dexterity, +3, Endurance +5, Intelligence +2] Max Stamina +100, Damage (Machinery) +3%, Crafting Speed +3%

Energy Level: 98-104

Grade: Class E Superhuman

[You have finally taken the first step of transcendence. Don’t get too full of yourself, there is still a long way to go.]

____________________

Specializations: [High Focus], [Lesser Mental Resistance], [Hard Worker]

(NEW) [Presence of Mind] – +5 Intelligence

____________________

Class Abilities:

– Basic Machinery Affinity Lv.5

– Basic Maintenance Lv. 10

– Basic Enhancement Lv. 10

– Basic Refining Lv. 1

– Overload Lv. 1

Blueprint: Sky Swallow Gliders Lv. 1

Blueprint: Prosthetic Limb Lv. 1

Blueprint: Lightweight Mechanical Arm Lv. 1

Blueprint: Rover Lv. 1

Blueprint: High Explosive Lv.3

Blueprint: Retractable Knife Lv. 2

(New!) Intermediate Mechanic Affinity Lv. 1 – +2% Production Quantity – +2% Production Speed

(New!) Strafe Lv. 1:

Cost: 3 Energy, 15 Stamina.

Cooldown: 12s

For two seconds, enables instantaneous movement within a 3-meter radius. Grants 15% bonus firing speed for the duration of the skill. Can only be used when equipped with a gun. (This skill can be activated even if you are on your last bullet.)

(New!) Blueprint: Platinum Alloy

Grade: Green

This material is made with advanced technology. It has high ductility and is suitable for making armor and various machines.

Crafting Requirement: Basic Refining Lv. 5

____________________

Other Abilities:

Basic Combat Lv. 10 – +10% Damage (Barehanded), +2 Strength, + 1 Endurance

Basic Shooting Lv. 8 – +8% Accuracy (Ranged)

Grappling Lv. 5 – +7% Counter (Melee), +10% Damage (Barehanded)

Precise Aim Lv. 1 – +3% Accuracy (Ranged), +2% Critical Rate (Ranged)

Special Ops Combat Lv. 1 – +6% Critical Rate (Melee), +4% Damage (Barehanded)

Stealing Lv. 1

(New!) Energy Training Technique – +10 Energy – 0/80 times (Each use costs 800 experience and 500 stamina)

____________________

Talent Points: 16

Class Talent Tree

____________________

Weaponry

Basic Assembly Lv. 1 (0/1)

Basic Mechanical Engineering Lv. 2 (0/1)

Basic Bionics Lv. 2 (0/1)

Basic Weaponry Knowledge Lv. 1 (0/1)

Basic Material Knowledge Lv. 1 (0/1)

(New!) Advanced Material Composition Lv. 1 (0/2)

[14 Talents Not Learnt]

____________________

Energy

[20 Talents Not Learnt]

____________________

Manipulation

[20 Talents Not Learnt]

____________________

Reputations:

Germinal Organization – Hated (-1000)

Stardragon SDI (Division 13) – Neutral (300/1000) – Clearance Level 1

Legend: 0

180,000 experience—45,000 from the Black Spider mission, and the rest mostly accumulated from Han Xiao’s efforts in tirelessly crafting Retractable Knives and Highly Explosive Gunpowder. Currently, both blueprints were at Lv. 2 and Lv. 3 respectively. As they were cheap and easy to craft, they were much easier to level up in contrast to other blueprints like the Lightweight Mecha Arm, or the Rover.

A month had passed since Han Xiao arrived at the Western Capital. Since then, Han Xiao had earned an overall amount of 200,000 experience, which was equal to a third of what he had earned back in his 6-month stint with the Germinal Organization. Now, with over $1,500,000 in his possession, finances were the least of Han Xiao’s concern.

The first-class advancement was the biggest game changer as it granted the player an energy attribute.

Han Xiao lightly pressed his thumb towards his index finger. As soon as he did so, his index was enveloped by a sort of invisible air. It felt similar to a weak current, and Han Xiao could discern that it was magnetism. Magnetism was one of the attributes that a Mechanic could specialize in. Combat-wise, it was not as powerful as the destructive attributes of fire or lightning. Instead, its main use was in strengthening the Machinery Affinity of a Mechanic. It would eventually allow for automated crafting.

Energy Attributes were not limited to just the natural elements. Instead, they could be thought of more as ‘concepts’ of how each class uses energy. For example, the energy attribute for Psychics is [Spirit]. Furthermore, energy attributes could also be nurtured and changed. For example, a Pugilist who cultivated various techniques would be able to grasp the speed of wind, power of fire, or hardness of iron, etc.

[Abstract Thinking] and [Intermediate Machinery Affinity] were self-explanatory, while [Strafe] was an active defensive skill.

If Han Xiao had chosen the path of Cannonmaster, he would have gained three new skills. However, he only gained one: [Strafe], a defensive skill. Han Xiao was by no means a coward who did not dare to face the enemy head-on, but he did indeed prefer a dual-natured skill like this that could be used both offensively and defensively to other flashy and high-damage ones. Furthermore, gaining unlimited ammo, even if temporary, could prove to be useful.

[Energy Training Technique] was a common skill acquired after the first advancement.

It was a special type of ‘growth’ skill that did not have a level system. Instead, its effects could be improved through repeated usage/practice that expended experience, and each use increased the character’s energy, up until the skill’s set usage limit. The user’s energy attribute played an important part in the training effectiveness.

Most energy-related training techniques utilized such a growth system.

Energy was indeed an integral part of Superhumans. It largely decided a character’s grade and power level. The early levels of energy stages are as follows:

Lv. 1 -10

Lv. 2 – 50

Lv. 3 – 100

Lv. 4 – 200

Lv. 5 – 400

Lv. 6 – 1000

…

Not only did reaching the next energy level give each player bonus stats, there were also extra benefits that could be unlocked upon reaching certain levels.

Lv. 1 was the bare benchmark, and while Hila was only Lv. 30, her energy level had already reached 500 ouna, roughly five times more than Han Xiao’s. One of the reasons for this was the Energy Training Technique system.

Platinum Alloy was a new material-type blueprint acquired through [Advanced Material Composition]. The alloy itself was green in color, and it was well-suited for making armor due to its sturdiness. Its crafting requirement was Lv. 5 Novice Refining.

Of the 180,000 experience at hand, Han Xiao decided to spend 25,000 to reach Lv. 10 Agent. This gave him a number of stats (+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +3 Endurance, +1 Charisma), as well as 1 talent point and 1 assignable stat point.

____________________

Advancement detected! Delete [Civilian] Class?

Y/N

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The [Civilian] class was simply one of the default starting classes for new characters. It functioned as a tutorial class that could be deleted upon the first advancement. The experience that a player put into the [Civilian] class would be refunded upon deletion, unless the unknowing player had maxed it out.

“Delete, I guess,” mumbled Han Xiao to himself. There was nothing to lose from deleting it.

The [Civilian] class subsequently disappeared from the information window, leaving it to reflect only a max level [Agent], as well as Han Xiao’s character level of 21.

Next, Han Xiao inputted another 45,000 experience points to raise [Basic Shooting] to Lv. 10, which gave him 10% Accuracy, +2 Dexterity, and another talent point.

In short, Han Xiao had just spent 70,000 experience points, but he still needed to save 64,000 for the [Energy Training Technique], leaving him with… yup, give me a second…

47,000 more experience points!

“I’ll keep them for now,” muttered Han Xiao, lamenting how quickly the experience points vanished.

Fortunately for him, there was still the High-explosive Gunpowder that he had been stocking up on. It would ensure a steady stream of experience ahead.

…

When the time was up, Gu Hui promptly escorted Han Xiao back upstairs, where Feng Jun had been waiting.

Suddenly, Han Xiao remembered something.

“Oh right. I heard that it was a guy called Korat who stirred up this incident. Help me get word out that I won’t be selling anything to this person.”

Feng Jun grimaced.

“Do you think I’m a messenger or something?”

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you?”

Feng Jun opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“Fine,” he groaned.

…

“He says he’s blacklisted me?”

Korat laughed coldly, seemingly unfazed.

All along, he had only been concerned with personal gain, and he did not see how Han Xiao could ever pose a threat to him.

…

With the resolution of the incident, Han Xiao returned to the workshop, where three days went by peacefully.

Having just advanced, Han Xiao spent the time adjusting to his newly upgraded body. With his past life’s experience, he quickly got in sync and began to train with the [Energy Training Technique]. Each training expended experience points, as well as stamina. As stamina recovery rate was limited, and Han Xiao had to continue with manufacturing, he could only train up to two times a day.

____________________

You have trained with [Energy Training Technique] once.

Mastery: 81%

Stamina: +3

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Training effectiveness depended on the main stat of one’s class. The main stat for Mechanics was Intelligence, so he devoted four unassigned points into Intelligence, raising its total to 36. Previously, Han Xiao had needed to put quite a few points into Strength and Endurance, but that was only for the purpose of escaping the Germinal facility. From now on, he could focus solely on Intelligence.

The effectiveness of [Energy Training Technique] was divided into three stages:

+1 Stamina for lower than 40% Mastery

+2 Stamina for 40%-80% Mastery

+3 Stamina for 80% and above Mastery

Han Xiao was right on Stage 3.

As Han Xiao had no other outlet to sell the Retractable Knife for now, and a few days had already gone by, he felt that it was about time to release the gunpowder. By now, he had produced thousands of bullets.

He was just about to ring Li Ya Lin up when she beat him to it.

“Leader is out of the hospital. He’s called us up.”

…

Han Xiao found himself the last to arrive at the secret ops team meeting room, where, other than the trio, was another man. The man’s face was extremely square, and he seemed both righteous and stern. He looked extremely reliable and currently had his lips pursed.

“So, you are Han Xiao?”

The team leader’s eyes were filled with both unhappiness and caution as he examined Han Xiao.

Han Xiao was caught off guard by him. Suddenly, Li Yao tugged on his sleeve and muttered to him, “He has the final say in who can join secret ops, but since your case was special, and you had the approval from the higher ups without going through him, he’s a bit—uh—unhappy. But don’t worry. Leader might be strict, but he’s not a bad person.”

That explained things.

Han Xiao was given a second shock when he turned to look at Li Yao. Li Yao’s entire body was wrapped in bandages, and he looked very much like a giant rice dumpling, with only his eyes and mouth revealed. It was an extremely pitiful state.

“Who beat you up?” asked a bewildered Han Xiao.

Suddenly, Li Ya Lin coughed.

Li Yao looked as though he was about to say something but changed his words. “I— I fell down.”

Han Xiao gave him a weird look. His injuries were so serious, if he really fell, he must have done the ‘fall a hundred times if you’re a man’ challenge.

“Let me introduce myself,” interrupted the leader.

“I am the team’s leader, Zhang Wei,” he introduced, shocking Han Xiao a third time.

“How casual is your parents’ naming sense‽ I think only Ye Qiu or Ye Fan could be worse!”

Han Xiao’s response, for some reason, caused Zhang Wei to look confused.

“You know Ye Fan from Hai Xia’s military affairs? Middle—cough—I mean, I worked with him a few times back in the hostel.”

Heavens! There really exists someone with such a godly name? That guy’s rank must be S+!

“Anyway,” continued Zhang Wei sternly. “With your inclusion, our team is back to being a five man cell. Although your position is in the backline, I still have to say this: as your background is a complete mystery, and I don’t trust your ability yet, I will continue to observe you for now. I don’t care if it’s some high-level agent who assigned you here. If you fail to meet my expectations, I will kick you out of the squad.”

Han Xiao’s eyelid twitched.

Trust did indeed take time to be established—Zhang Wei might have been blunt, but he was, without a doubt, simply acting the part of a responsible leader. Naturally, Han Xiao was not offended at all.

However, the chances of him being kicked out were nonexistent—after all, the top brass had decided things.

Zhang Wei himself understood this fact, but, as the leader of a squad, he could not just instantly accept someone whose background was a complete mystery—the higher-ups had not provided him with any information regarding Han Xiao.

Furthermore, in his eyes, Han Xiao was still new, and it remained to be seen if he was truly capable. In their field of work, the slightest mistake could result in the gravest of consequences, so being assigned a new guy all of a sudden was not a laughing matter.

Of course, it was not that Zhang Wei looked down on newbies. However, he believed that any new agent should have to go through two or three years of training before earning the right to even be considered for secret ops.

Who the hell threw this guy to us? Do they think that we’re babysitters‽

They’re taking this far too lightly! Damn you all!

As Zhang Wei continued to examine Han Xiao, he made up his mind to ignore the repercussions and kick Han Xiao to another team if he proved unable to gel with the squad.

Meanwhile, Han Xiao did not know what was going through his mind, but he found that Zhang Wei’s eyes were slowly filling up with animosity.

Suddenly, Li Yao’s laptop flashed, prompting him to turn his neck around with much effort. His expression changed as he yelled, “There’s an urgent mission! They want us to depart now!”

“Details?” asked Zhang Wei sternly.

“Ma Qing Yang’s team was ambushed during their mission to assault a Germinal base. The higher-ups want us to provide assistance immediately. They’ll fill us in on the plane.”

“Assaulting a Germinal base?” wondered Han Xiao. He could guess roughly what had occurred, having previously given Division 13 info on three of their bases.

All three bases were situated within Stardragon territory, which was why Stardragon had been able to immediately mobilize its troops to destroy two of them. The destruction of these two bases had increased Han Xiao’s achievement progress rate to 2.0%. However, the Germinal were no fools and had clearly anticipated that the third base would be attacked as well. They had clearly set up a trap.

Zhang Wei promptly headed for the door. When he passed Han Xiao, he paused for a moment and frowned before instructing, “Li Yao, you will stay behind to provide support. Han Xiao, you are new, so this is a good chance for you. Stay with Li Yao and learn well if you want to become useful.”

Li Yao was about to say something, but he hesitated. Han Xiao smiled and simply replied, “Fine.”

As Zhang Wei did not participate in the Black Spider mission and had only received a flowery description of events from Li Ya Lin; he did not trust in Han Xiao’s ability yet. Han Xiao sighed inwardly. He understood this well.

Han Xiao pondered for a moment before holding Li Ya Lin back to pass her four magazines of High-explosive ammo.

“Consider it a gift from a friend.”

Li Ya Lin’s eyes lit up upon seeing them.

“Is this your new invention?”

Han Xiao chuckled.

“Don’t squander them—they can start quite a fire.”

…

_____________________

You have triggered the E-class mission: [Rescue!]

Mission Description: Provide assistance to the secret-ops team being chased by the enemy. Your role is to assist your teammates in completing this mission.

Mission Requirement: Successfully rescue Ma Qing Yang’s squad.

Mission Rewards: 8,000 experience

Bonus Rewards: None

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8,000 experience only,  lamented Han Xiao. Fitting for a backline support I guess.

“Brother Han…” said Li Yao. “Leader isn’t particularly against you or anything like that, so don’t worry about it.”

“I know,” replied Han Xiao casually, which eased Li Yao’s worries.

He then swiftly popped up three laptops and worked away at them to adjust the video and audio feeds. From the first-person footage on the screen, they could see that the trio had already boarded the aircraft.

Beneath HQ was a special railway used to quickly transport agents and staff to a landing site.

On the jet followed another team of twelve secret-ops agents, and on the way, Han Xiao, Li Ya Lin, and Li Yao made small talk, while Zhang Wei and Lambert closed their eyes in rest.

An hour later, the jet arrived at their destination.

It was a cold desert filled with long stretches of dunes, and a bright, scorching sun was hanging in the azure sky, the intense heat of which caused the air to shimmer and the ground to simmer. Upon contact with the sand, the agents’ boots instantly gave off a burnt smell.

“We have arrived,” reported Zhang Wei in a deep voice.

The trio were fully-equipped. Li Ya Lin, still with that yellow hoodie and black bodysuit, had a retractable knife by her waist, and a black bag over her back that contained the Lightweight Mecha Arm; Lambert carried ten modified Retractable Daggers and a huge, large caliber rifle; and Zhang Wei, whose equipment gave even Han Xiao a shock.

It was a powered armor suit!

Zhang Wei’s entire body was covered inside a sturdy, grayish suit of armor that spotted a few scars of battle. The helmet would have fit right in with the Middle Ages, and only had openings for vision, but the arms were modified and fitted two thick-barreled machine guns. The ammo belt was concealed within the amour, but the reload chamber was located near the thighs. On the back of the suit hung a hexagon shield of steel, reminiscent of a tortoise, and overall, the suit made Zhang Wei look like an incomparably heavy, giant clunk of iron that was designed for show.

It spurred Han Xiao’s interest.

This is the prototype for the [Combatant Armored Suit], one of the few suits available back in Version 1.0.

As the Six Nations each possessed different kinds of advanced knowledge, the suits that they engineered differed from one another.

Theseus was the nation that initiated development of the armored suit, and, sometime after the game’s launch, they made the [Combatant Armored Suit], a mini modular mobile suit—the first of its kind on Planet Aquamarine. At present, it was probably still under development, but although what Zhang Wei was wearing was just a prototype, Han Xiao wondered how Division 13 were able to acquire Theseusian technology.

In Galaxy, players who were ‘Exalted’ with Theseus could purchase the [Combatant Armored Suit] from them. They were extremely pricey, and even routine maintenance and repairs cost well over tens of thousands. It was not something that most players could afford.

As a back-line support, Han Xiao’s duty included maintenance of equipment, so Zhang Wei’s armored suit would probably fall into his charge as well.

Without encryption measures in place, Technicians were able to reverse engineer blueprints.

If the Technician already possessed the required knowledge, it would make the process faster, but even without any, it was still possible to reverse engineer a piece of machinery or technology—just that it would take much more time and require astronomically larger amounts of experience. Furthermore, the results would often come out as ‘Incomplete’.

The required knowledge for crafting the [Combatant Armored Suit] was an advanced weaponry knowledge possessed by Theseus.

Han Xiao bit his finger. If he could reverse-engineer the blueprints of the armored suit, then even if incomplete, they would still provide him with a new means of combat and boost his combat power. However, when he thought of how he could better spend the experience on the other more valuable and useful blueprints in his memory, he gave up the idea.

Li Yao spoke into the intercom. “Ma Qing Yang’s squad is about 13km away. There are 15 armored cars and one Black Harrier helicopter in pursuit. The meeting point is set on a hill 3km away. The objective will be to slow down the enemy and link up with the Ma Qing Yang’s squad. Do not engage the enemy excessively. I have already sent them the coordinates. Now, get ready.”

His instructions were clear, as befitting of a back-line supporter, functioning as a third eye to provide precise coordination and tactical advice.

The trio and the field team swiftly arrived at the hill, where they lay in wait for the enemy.

Soon after, the sound of engines began to approach, and on the vast desert plains appeared a single vehicle being chased by over a dozen others. The sound of gunfire was incessant, and behind the fleeing car was a continuous trail of smoke and blasts.

Aboard were none other than Ma Qing Yang’s squad.

“Ready!” ordered Zhang Wei sternly as he closely waited for the Germinal vehicles to come in range. “Fire!”

Suddenly, from behind the hill, a rain of metal dense enough to cover the sky descended upon the surprised Germinal agents. Bullets rang and clattered non-stop as they hit the armored vehicles.

Upon the sudden ambush, the leading Germinal vehicle immediately spun around to avoid direct hits, almost overturning as it skidded.

Zhang Wei’s twin guns roared like fire-spewing dragons as they unleashed an endless stream of large-caliber bullets onto the nearest two all-terrain cars. Within the space of a few seconds, the two cars exploded into balls of flames.

Meanwhile, Lambert was showcasing his skill with the rifle. He remained still as he fired shot after shot of steel core bullets with 100% accuracy to halt the enemy’s advance.

“The reinforcements are here!”

Aboard the fleeing car, Ma Qing Yang and his teammates rejoiced. Almost the entire team had sustained injuries and were lying down.

As they neared the hill, Ma Qing Yang stuck his head out from the window of the driver seat and yelled, “Old Zhang, there’s too many of them! Quickly flee!”

Right at this moment, a strange gale of wind suddenly descended upon the rescue team’s location. The dancing sand began to form the image of a ghostly face. The sight of it was both unnerving and ominous.

“Duck!” bellowed Zhang Wei as he hurriedly dropped to the ground to roll away. As the armored suit was too heavy, he did not have many other choices of movement. Li Ya Lin and Lambert were the quickest to react, and they managed to duck to a side.

As the gale crashed onto the ground, the blast sent a number of field agents flying.

Zhang Wei suddenly felt a sharp pain throughout his mind, and his nose started to bleed. As he looked around, to his horror, the other field agents who had not been able to run away in time were all bleeding profusely from their orifices as they twitched uncontrollably.

“Mental attack!” yelled a shocked Zhang Wei. “The enemy is a superhuman!”

As he looked towards the enemy fleet to find the source of the attack, he noticed the hood of one of the cars open up, and a slender woman in a jet-black leather suit jumped out and started running towards them at an incredible speed. Her headful of red hair floated behind her, making her seem like some kind of red and black flash of lightning.

Hila’s eyes were emotionless. With a wave of a hand, another ghostly face appeared in mid-air in front of Zhang Wei. The wind wailed horrifyingly.

No, that’s not the wind!

That is the screaming of souls!

Necromastery! This was indeed Hila’s ability.

Zhang Wei’s consciousness began to grow blurry, causing him to crumple to the ground. If it were not for his strong physique, he would probably have died on the spot.

Back at Division 13, Han Xiao furrowed his brows. Pushing Li Yao to take command, he barked, “She is the Germinal’s combat commander! Quickly flee!”

Zhang Wei was about to reprimand Han Xiao for snatching command when, to his surprise, he discovered that Li Ya Lin and Lambert were unhesitatingly retreating. It appeared as though they fully trusted in Han Xiao’s judgement!

‘Is the new guy that reliable?’

Suppressing his shock, Zhang Wei gritted his teeth and stood up to activate the thrusters by his legs, allowing him to jump 5 to 6 meters a leap. As he bounded after the pair, he continued to fire cover shots towards Hila to slow her down.

Hila reached the hilltop in no time, and with another wave of her hand, a gray light flashed across the entire area. The remaining field agents instantly collapsed to the ground. There was no apparent injury on their bodies, yet all of them had ceased breathing.

Han Xiao’s expression was extremely grave. He had known all along of Hila’s true strength. It was a thing of fortune that he had not needed to face her during his escape. In Galaxy, her powers were classified as having the exceedingly rare potential of S-Class, surpassing the Heavenly level.

At present, Hila’s power was still but a fraction of what she would eventually become capable of, yet even this bit was still too overwhelming.

“She’s too fast! Li Ya Lin, it’s up to you!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Ya Lin turned around to face the incoming Hila. As she kicked towards her direction, a yellow burst of energy shot out that managed to push Hila back a few steps.

“Pugilist?” Hila squinted at Li Ya Lin as she clasped both hands together, conjuring an even larger ghostly face that smashed towards her.

Maintaining her composure, Li Ya Lin ducked underneath the ghostly face with a slide and managed to avoid a direct hit. As she approached Hila, she whipped out the Retractable Knife by her waist and gave a mighty cleave.

Hila’s eyes widened at the suddenness of her blow, and she did a tumble on the ground to evade.

Seizing the initiative, Li Ya Lin followed up with a series of powerful strikes with her legs: a stamp, a smash, a sweep, and a kick – the string of attacks flowing beautifully like a dancing swallow. Fast enough to create afterimages, but Li Ya Lin was certainly not just about speed. The force of her blows backed her killing intent.

Swallow Style!

On the receiving end, Hila wrapped her arms with a gray aura to strengthen them, allowing her to block each blow with them. The fact that Hila did not seem to be receiving any damage at all only went to show how far apart they were in terms of strength – Li Ya Lin specialized in close combat yet could not overwhelm her.

The exchange lasted for only a few seconds, but anything could have happened in that short span of time.

“Use the mecha arm! It’ll let you help Lambert get a chance to snipe her!”

Biting her lip, Li Ya Lin quickly inserted her left arm into the bag and pulled it out with the Lightweight Mechanical Arm equipped. With a powerful strike combining her own power with that of the mecha arm, she finally managed to break through Hila’s defenses by blowing her arms away, leaving her chest exposed.

The mecha arm followed through into her flesh!

A direct hit!

Hila’s face flashed red momentarily, and with a low harrumph brought her palms together and rubbed them slowly, and as soon as she did so, the gray aura wrapping her arms began to revolve faster and faster. Next, she threw down both arms – palms facing the ground – and, from where she stood, powerful winds began to arise, assaulting the entire surrounding!

Li Ya Lin hastily retreated backwards, but even so, her mind was still struck by the mental attack, causing her soul to feel like it was being torn apart. The pain was indescribable, and two streams of blood trickled down from Li Ya Lin’s nose as her vision seemed to turn upside-down, causing her to nearly lose her balance and fall over.

As Hila examined the familiar visage of the Lightweight Mecha Arm, she yelled in rage and shock, “How are you related to Zero‽”

‘Zero? Who?’ Li Ya Lin was bewildered.

Right at this moment, Lambert saw his opportunity and fired a shot! Hila’s expression changed at the sound of the sniper rifle, and she immediately lunged sideways to dodge while enveloping her entire body with her gray aura. The large caliber sniper rifle bullet hit her on the shoulder, sending her spinning backwards in the air – as though hit by a train at full speed.

“Zhang Wei, quickly take Li Ya Lin and run!”

Zhang Wei did not take offense at being directly called by name. It was with Han Xiao’s direction that Li Ya Lin and Lambert had managed to injure the scary woman, and he now had some trust in Han Xiao’s judgement. He hurriedly lifted Li Ya Lin in his hands and turned around to leap towards Ma Qing Yang’s vehicle.

As they retreated, the remainder of the Germinal fleet arrived at the foot of the hill, and they began to open fire. Sparks flew as the bullets deflected off Zhang Wei’s armored suit, only leaving dents and marks. Zhang Wei did not even bother to take a look behind him. All that was going through his head was that the armored suit was truly his lucky charm this day. In the past, he had always had grievances over it being too heavy, but now, it was proving to be extremely reliable.

“Get in the car!” yelled an anxious Ma Qing Yang as he hurriedly slowed down for them.

The trio managed to board the vehicle, but it was a close shave. The concentrated fire was nearly enough to penetrate it.

Now that they were in the clear, Zhang Wei finally had time to assess the enemy’s status: their fleet was not fast enough to catch up with them, and that powerful superhuman had not gotten up yet. As long as they made it to the aircraft, everything would be fine.

“We’re safe now!”

Zhang Wei let out a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, Han Xiao had bad news for him.

“Look out above.”

Above?

Zhang Wei gave a start.

Right, they still have a helicopter!

The Black Harrier finally made its appearance and began to shoot down at their car.

“We have to take that out somehow!” assessed Zhang Wei immediately. “If not, our own aircraft will be in danger. Lambert, it’s up to you and your sniper rifle!”

Lambert shook his head plainly.

“I’m all out of armor-piercing shells. Standard bullets won’t do against the Black Harrier’s thick armor. Even if I had some left, it would take more than 7 shots.”

“Are we really going to die here?”

Despair was written all over Ma Qing Yan’s face. They were only a kilometer away from their escape plan’s extraction point, but it did not seem like they would make it.

Suddenly, Han Xiao spoke, “Did you forget my present?”

Li Ya Lin gave a start and hurriedly took out the four magazines. One of them was filled with rifle bullets.

“What does this do?”

“See for yourself.”

Lambert quickly took the magazine from Li Ya Lin and loaded his sniper rifle.

As he readied to fire the shot, everyone watched on in anticipation.

This single bullet was their final hope.

In this critical moment, time seemed to slow down for all of them.

As soon as Lambert pulled the trigger, a brass shell flew out from the chamber, and the crimson bullet was ignited as it accelerated out of the barrel spinning. Whirling, it landed directly on the helicopter’s bullet-proof glass.

Suddenly, the crimson bullet opened up like a blooming flower to expose its explosive contents to the air.

“Kaboom!”

The entire helicopter was instantly engulfed in a giant ball of flames. On closer inspection, the fire was actually burning off on the very armor itself – as though it had actually been ignited!

The helicopter began to spin out on control mid-air. The pilot – in his panic – decided to abandon ship.

On board the car, everyone was completely stunned by what they had just witnessed. Slowly, their attention turned towards the magazines that were full of the magic ammo.

Even reinforced armor was ignited!

What the hell is this ammo‽

“Who got their hands on such good treasure?” asked a stupefied Ma Qing Yang.

Li Ya Lin’s eyes began to shine. “This stuff is good!”

She immediately loaded up her handgun with one of the magazines and fired a few shots. The pursuing enemy vehicles similarly went up in balls of flames, and even the missed shots were setting the ground ablaze.

As the vehicles’ armor heated up, their interiors soon turned into furnaces, and the heat was even causing the engine and other key parts to overheat, putting a halt to their pursuit.

As the gang’s car charged into the aircraft hangar, the pilot who had been anxiously observing the situation immediately took flight, and they were soon gone with the wind.

Back on the ground, Hila’s face was pale. Where she had been shot at on her shoulder was only a shallow wound. She was using her gray aura to heal it up. As she grudgingly watched the aircraft leave, she made a call to the boss and said through gritted teeth, “We’ve found Zero’s trail!”

[Rescue!] completed. You have earned 8000 experience points.

+100 Reputation (Stardragon SDI)

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“Bro Xiao, you’re the best!” Li Yao’s eyes glowed with admiration.

“Heh, you only just realized?” replied Han Xiao with a hint of smugness.

Zhang Wei, realizing that he had misjudged Han Xiao, apologized, “Sorry for doubting your ability before. Today, we only made it out alive thanks to your guidance and your equipment. Welcome to the team.”

A late welcome was better than none.

Han Xiao chuckled.

“No need to apologize over such trivial matters – I’m a gracious man.”

Zhang Wei felt a shiver down his spine. Han Xiao’s words sounded odd to him.

“Oh right,” continued Han Xiao, “who made your armored suit?”

“Oh, this is just a prototype of the [Combatant Powered Armor]. It was among the spoils of war during the battle with Theseus a few years back. Presently, it’s the only functional one we have. They tried to reverse engineer it, but as progress was too slow and maintenance proved troublesome as well, it was handed to me.”

The [Combatant Armored Suit]’s crafting prerequisite was the advanced weaponry talent [Large-scale Remodeling], which was also required to craft many other power suits, machine frames, and other larger combat machinery. If Theseus had only just created the prototype, then Stardragon would definitely be much further behind.

Han Xiao saw his chance.

“You can leave the maintenance to me.”

“Sure!” rejoiced Zhang Wei. He now trusted Han Xiao’s ability.

“Is this special bullet a new invention of yours?” interrupted Li Ya Lin excitedly.

Han Xiao proceeded to fully explain the use of the High-explosive Gunpowder.

Regular incendiary ammunition required a flammable target to work effectively, but the High-explosive Gunpowder contained a special chemical that could activate upon simply coming into contact with the air and ‘light up’ anything that it came into contact with. It’s temperature and power were comparable to a Molotov, but what made it scary was that this power could be harnessed within bullets! Everyone could see how this was a game-changer.

“Are you selling this?” asked Ma Qing Yang animatedly.

“Of course – 50 a bullet.”

Now that they had proved effective, it was a good time to release them.

“I want 200!” replied Ma Qing Yang immediately. “20 handgun bullets, 150 submachine gun bullets, and 30 sniper rifle bullets.”

“Okay,” answered Han Xiao. “You can collect them in a day.”

“You can start to collect orders,” he instructed Li Ya Lin privately. “Like before, I’ll give you a 20% discount.”

Li Ya Lin’s lips curled into a grin.

…

News of how the mission unfolded spread like wildfire in Division 13. Naturally, the incendiary bullets became the talk of the town.

“Han Xiao’s new product?”

“I heard that that’s what saved their lives!”

The Retractable Knife incident had already garnered Han Xiao a lot of attention. Upon Ma Qing Yang’s order of the bullets becoming public knowledge, many agents came forward to inquire about them. As a way of repaying Han Xiao’s team for rescuing them, Ma Qing Yang held a live demonstration in the practice field.

Everyone was stunned by the power of the incendiary bullets, and the first thing they did after the demonstration was look for Li Ya Lin to place orders. Everything was going according to Han Xiao’s plan.

It was a revolutionary invention, and this time, the top brass knew they had to make sure that things would not end up like the previous fiasco.

They even brought the Research Director in for a warning before he even did anything.

The division offered Han Xiao numerous terms to provide both field-ops and special-ops with the new bullets, and he agreed to sell them at a slightly lower price of $20,000 for 500 bullets.

In just the first day alone, Han Xiao’s stockpile of a few thousand bullets was sold out, earning him $200,000. Coupled with the $1,500,000 that he had earned from the underground network, his savings were not small.

After the class advancement, Han Xiao’s production speed was raised considerably, and he focused solely on producing the gunpowder. As a show of support, Division 13 decided to provide him with cartridges and shells, which greatly sped up the process. Each batch yielded around 300 bullets, and Han Xiao was able to produce over 10 such batches a day. Crafting a bullet gave Han Xiao 5 to 10 experience points, so he was able to earn up to 30,000 experience in just a single day.

It was probably the fastest experience growth ever by a Mechanic of his level.

…

“Not selling to me?”

Korat was fuming. Initially, he had thought that a simple apology would resolve the grudge between him and Han Xiao – after all, money was money. However, Li Ya Lin actually shut the door tight on him.

“Han Xiao said that you’re on his blacklist, and he instructed me not to take either your money nor your apology.”

The other agents who had initially thought of reporting the Retractable Knife had Korat to thank for taking the initiative back then. Or else, they would be in the same predicament as him now.

When Korat offered to buy the bullets from his colleagues at a higher price, he found out that none of them were willing to. Even when he set his price at 200 a bullet, no one agreed – not even his closest colleagues.

He was clearly being ostracized, but he could not understand why – until one of his old friends told him, “Selling to you would offend Han Xiao. No one would want to risk being blacklisted by him, seeing as to how he probably will come up with more good stuff. Who would help you at their own expense?”

His words served a wake-up call to Korat. To think that it was the complete opposite back then – for money, he chose to trample over Han Xiao.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now.

…

Meanwhile, in a workroom, Luo Xuan opened up a box before him to reveal 20 incendiary bullets. He had gotten someone to help him acquire them.

Han Xiao had only blacklisted Korat and his team, not Luo Xuan. In Han Xiao’s eyes, Luo Xuan had simply been doing his job as part of the research department in trying to reverse engineer his blueprints. At the very least, he did not seem as vile to Han Xiao as Korat did. Now that the research department was being kept under watch, there was no need for Han Xiao to worry about them.

Moreover, Luo Xuan was also just support staff like him.

However, this inexplicably caused Luo Xuan to become resentful of Han Xiao.

“Damn you, Han Xiao! Do you look down on me so much that you ignore me‽”

What he did not realize was that Han Xiao did not look down on him – instead, Han Xiao had never even seen him before.

To avoid offending Han Xiao, the research director lay down an order preventing anyone from researching Han Xiao’s bullets, but Luo Xuan naturally did not care, and he still thought of himself as superior to Han Xiao, and that he could easily reproduce the bullets – like with the Retractable Knife.

“If I succeed, the higher-ups will definitely value me even more! I cannot afford to fail!” The more Luo Xuan thought about it, the more perfect his plan seemed to himself.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, Luo Xuan began to work at opening the bullet up. What he needed to do was examine the properties of the incendiary agent inside.

Clank!

Luo Xuan managed to extract the bullet case.

The next step would be to open it up and extract the contents with a special suction tube to prevent friction.

Carefully, he opened the bullet case.

“Success! Now I will just have to analyze-”

Suddenly, a blazing light filled up his entire vision.

Ring…!

The shrill of the fire alarm rang through the hallways as the fire spread. Thick, black smoke filled up the entire research department as the research staff headed for safety.

The sprinklers quickly put a stop to the spreading fire, but many documents were ruined, and sparks were flying out of some computers and machines. The walls and ceiling were filled with black burn marks.

“What could have caused the fire?” wondered the heartbroken research director aloud as he looked at the ruins.

Security soon arrived to begin inspection.

“The fire started from the workshop!”

Luo Xuan – his entire body soaking wet, and his entire face black – was supported out by the guards. All his hair had been burnt off, including his eyebrows, and he looked just like a soy egg – or rather, a century egg.

Being able to react quickly, in addition to having a fire extinguisher nearby, saved him from further disfigurement.

He had not expected the incendiary agent to be gaseous. It combusted the very second it came into contact with the atmosphere.

Luo Xuan had clearly overestimated himself.

“I’ve lost…” he grudgingly admitted.

“What have you done‽” yelled the research director.

One of the security guards opened his hand to reveal a few bullet cases. Although they were blackened, they were clearly crimson before.

“This is the bullet case of the High-explosive Gunpowder. Your man was trying to analyze it.”

The research director was instantly livid. Speechless, he could only point a finger at Luo Xuan in his rage.

‘Are my orders something to be taken lightly of‽

‘When the higher-ups investigate, this will all fall onto me again!

‘You bastards!’

Gu Hui also arrived at the scene. His face darkened upon seeing the wreckage.

“Explain yourself.”

The research director yanked Luo Xuan before him and said through gritted teeth, “He did this all by himself!”

Gu Hui looked at Luo Xuan plainly.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Luo Xuan lowered his head. He had thought that he would succeed and earn merit, but instead, he had now ended up disobeying orders on top of causing damages to the headquarters. This was probably the end of his career.

“You will go back to logistics,” stated Gu Hui coldly before turning around to leave.

Luo Xuan shuddered. Before, he had left the logistics department on bad terms. A return did not bode well for him.

True enough, when he arrived at the logistics department, his past colleagues all ignored him when they saw him. Even the logistics director, who had had high hopes for him in the past, was unwilling to see him. He only sent a secretary to inform Luo Xuan of his new position in a small team.

If only he had not been so narrow-minded and full of himself, he would not have lost his path and ended up like this.

Although he deeply regretted his actions now, it was too late.

“I was immature…” lamented a bitter Luo Xuan.

…

Han Xiao was shocked to hear of what Luo Xuan had done from Feng Jun – not even he, the creator himself, would dare to mess around and open up a completed incendiary bullet.

‘That guy’s got some balls.’

However, the matter was inconsequential to him. All along, Luo Xuan had just been a name in the back of his mind.

Soon after, Zhang Wei’s armored suit was delivered to his workroom. Upon observation, it was a truly crude prototype.

_____________________

Combatant Armored Suit (Prototype)

Type: Modular Mini-Power Suit

Grade: White

Stats: 682/1400 Durability, 35 Defense

Power Level: 86

Energy Level: 250/250

Prerequisite(s): 42 Strength, 48 Endurance

Bonus Stats: -10 Dexterity

Height: 1.95m

Weight: 370kg

Control Method: Manual (Full)

Energy Source: Electricity

Combat Consumption Rate: 5 energy/min

Core Power: 125/130

_____________________

Frame Module:

Spring-piston Absorber (reduces load by 65%)

Power: 20

_____________________

Right Arm Module: Large Caliber Tri-barreled Machine Gun

Damage: 105-125

Firing Rate: 5 shots/second (per barrel)

Maximum Firing Rate: 8 shots/second for 5 seconds (per barrel)

Magazine Capacity: 30 (+120 in the ammo belt)

Power Level: 75

Power: 35

_____________________

Left Arm Module: Large Caliber Tri-barreled Machine Gun

_____________________

Right Wrist Module: Knife

Damage: 12-15

Power Level: 9

Power: 5

_____________________

Leg Modules: Spring Boosters

+15 Speed

Consumes 1 energy/minute when active.

Power: 30

_____________________

Attachment: Infrared Vision

Power: N/A

Attachment: Six-tipped Shield (reduces incoming damage by 12%)

Power: N/A

_____________________

Tooltip: This abomination is a disgrace to all armored suits in the world!

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Han Xiao had to agree. It was indeed an ugly piece of work – it looked like someone had just decided to weld a few sheets of metal together.

Low power aside, it did not even run on an integrated circuit! No wonder Zhang Wei always fired volleys instead of precise shots – there was no aiming system in place! An armored suit with an integrated circuit would be able to receive and transmit crucial information to its user during a fight.

Also, the only automated part of the suit was its legs! Other than the legs, the entire suit’s framework had to be operated manually, which explained why Zhang Wei had not used the shield – he wasn’t able to at all!

“Come on, even though it’s a prototype, at least show it some love, you assholes!”

As Han Xiao examined the suit with crossed arms, numerous ideas began to pop up. However, it was still too soon to rush upgrades. Some of the tweaks he wanted to make required knowledge that he did not currently possess. Hence, after performing just some simple maintenance, Han Xiao got Feng Jun to help him return it to Zhang Wei.

Currently, Han Xiao’s primary concern was regarding the three successfully destroyed Germinal bases, and what information he should disclose to Stardragon next.

The three captured bases were indeed the only ones located within Stardragon. If Stardragon wanted to continue its assault on the Germinal Organization, they would have to take the fight to a foreign nation. While relations among the Six Nations were truly not that amicable, no one really wanted to continue fighting since a lot of resources had already been depleted during the transition to the new era. Each nation was still counting their losses.

Hence, Stardragon would have to seek the cooperation of the other nations, and that would be complicated to accomplish. Han Xiao himself would also have to be directly involved as he was the key source of information.

The question was whether the higher-ups would let Han Xiao leave the Western Capital.

Suddenly, the phone rang. It was Feng Jun, who said gravely, “Han Xiao, Germinal operatives are on the move. They seem to know that you are with us and are trying to track you down.”

“I know.”

Han Xiao had expected this. He had instructed Li Ya Lin to use the mecha arm while knowing that Hila would recognize it.

“Rest assured. There will be men keeping watch around you 24/7.”

The Western Capital was Division 13’s territory. Even if the Germinal Organization were to find out Han Xiao’s exact location, they would probably not be able to touch him – not easily, at least.

Still, as there were several superhuman assassins amongst their ranks, Han Xiao knew that he could not afford to let his guard down.

‘Looks like I should prepare some defensive measures.’

“Help me draw two Berserk Eagle handguns from the armory.”

The Berserk Eagle was a close-range, large-caliber handgun. It had an effective range of 30m, where its power was comparable to that of a sniper rifle.

It would work wonders with Han Xiao’s [Strafe].

However, Han Xiao would need more.

Over the past three days, Han Xiao had gained 100,000 experience points from crafting gunpowder. He decided to spend 40,000 to raise [Basic Refining] to Lv. 5, fulfilling the requirements for crafting the [Platinum Alloy].

“It’s time for upgrades.”

…

A few days ago, upon learning of the appearance of the mecha arm in the hands of a Stardragon agent, the boss came to the conclusion that it must have been Zero who leaked information on their three bases to Stardragon.

“Is he a psychic?”

The boss found it hard to explain how Zero could have accessed top secret information. In fact, he had not once suspected Zero. Instead, he had mistakenly assumed that there was a traitor amongst his ranks. As a result, he had even wrongly killed one commander.

His mind flashed back to a month ago, where Zero had declared his intention to destroy them.

The boss clenched his fist.

“I may have underestimated you, but you are still a nobody – I don’t believe that you possess more intel.

“Pass down my order: recruit some wanderers to investigate Zero’s trail in Stardragon. The Germinal Organization will reward those who find him!

“If found, send Rosa to finish him off.”

Rosa, like Hila, was a Germinal commander. She was an assassin.

Each commander had their own specialty, but no one knew exactly how many commanders there were – not even most Germinal agents themselves.

The boss gazed into the distance.

‘Did you think that gaining Stardragon’s protection would keep you safe?

‘Naive!’

The Platinum Alloy was an alloy composed from a few rare ores. Han Xiao had to spend quite a sum of money to purchase enough of them.

After making the alloy, Han Xiao used it to craft a Retractable Knife and another Lightweight Mecha Arm. Both had above average stats – as expected – and the Retractable Knife was even of a higher grade.

_____________________

Retractable Platinum Knife

Grade: Green

Base Stats: 24-28 Damage, 355/355 Durability

Bonus Stats: +3 Dexterity

Length: 0.77m

Weight: 8.7kg

Additional Effects:

Retractable – This knife’s blade can be retracted.

Durable – The platinum alloy in this knife makes it less susceptible to wear and tear.

Note: This knife can even be used as a shield.

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The following day, Feng Jun came over to deliver the two Berserk Eagles. The Berserk Eagle had a slight longer barrel than the average handgun, and it was much more destructive at close range. Upon testing, they proved capable of blowing a chunk out of a test dummy’s head. The recoil was also extremely powerful, but Han Xiao possessed enough strength to tame the beasts.

They would serve as his protection against assassinations alongside the Platinum Retractable Knife. Han Xiao also altered his clothes to conceal several magazines – two magazines of incendiary ammo and four regular ones. For regular ammo, Han Xiao chose to use steel core bullets as their penetrative power suited the Berserk Eagle well.

Han Xiao brought up the information tab to check his remaining experience points. He currently had close to 200,000.

In Version 1.0 Galaxy, it was thought for a while that investing experience points into skills instead of leveling was optimal.

The reasoning for this was that, since the death cost was low around Lv. 20 to 30, it was an optimal level range to grind PVP. Unfortunately, it had all been someone’s ploy.

When the system congratulatory message popped up to celebrate the first Lv. 60 player in Version 1.0, the entire server was first stunned, then outraged. It was none other than the same guy who had advocated the theory of self-capping one’s level.

Han Xiao decided to spend 180,000 experience points to level up three times.

_____________________

[Novice Technician] has leveled up! +30 Energy, +1 Dexterity, +1 Endurance, +1 Intelligence, +3 unassigned stat points, + 1 talent point.

[Novice Technician] has leveled up! +30 Energy, +1 Dexterity, +1 Endurance, +1 Intelligence, +3 unassigned stat points, + 1 talent point.

[Novice Technician] has leveled up! +30 Energy, +1 Dexterity, +1 Endurance, +1 Intelligence, +3 unassigned stat points, + 1 talent point.

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Besides these newly acquired stats, Han Xiao had also gained 30 Energy from regular use of the [Energy Training Technique] over the past few days, so his Energy was now Lv. 4 at a total of 280.

_____________________

Lv. 4 Energy (200):

+3 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +5 Endurance, +4 Intelligence, + 150 Max Stamina, +4% Crafting Speed, +4% Machinery Power

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In total, Han Xiao gained +10 Strength, +10 Dexterity, +14 Endurance, +8 Intelligence, +320 Max Stamina, +10% Crafting Speed, and +10% Machinery Power from Energy bonuses, which made up nearly a third of his total stats.

Initially, Han Xiao had invested quite a number of points into Strength and Endurance in order to ensure his survival during his escape from the Germinal laboratory, but now, as he could focus solely on Intelligence, which was all that a Technician needed, he immediately spent all 9 unassigned stat points on Intelligence, reaching a total of 58 points.

Now Lv. 24, and also a Lv. 4 Novice Technician, Han Xiao’s combat power was at 160 ona.

“At this rate I should be able to remain much stronger than the first batch of players for a while…”

Suddenly, a notification sound played.

When Han Xiao opened up the notification, he received a huge shock.

_____________________

Beta testing has been scheduled

Retrieving Information…

Retrieval Complete

Beta Test Period: 12 Days

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“Beta testing‽

“I completely forgot about that!”

Han Xiao vaguely remembered that the beta test had been a two-day event. As time was accelerated by six times in Galaxy, that translated to exactly 12 days.

The beta test period was extremely short, and only had 30,000 slots. Most of them were taken up by big corporations and gaming organizations, leaving only a fraction to be distributed through a lottery system. Han Xiao was not lucky enough to win a slot.

From his memory, the beta test was held only a week before official launch, translating to about over a month inside the game. Yet, on the system information interface the countdown still displayed 130 days!

“Could it be that the in-game clock runs differently when service is down? That must be it! Each version update takes two or three days to go live, but between updates years could have passed by in-game. It makes sense!”

Han Xiao rubbed his chin with his fingers and realized that a beard was growing. He had been in Galaxy for over half a year. He suddenly remembered a controversial version update from his past life – ‘The Chosen Ones’. This version update was unlike any other. Other updates typically came with world-changing events and incidents, but this one had completely lacked a theme. No one could make sense of the version’s title, nor its contents.

Suddenly, the interface lit up, giving Han Xiao a start.

_____________________

NPC functions unlocked!

Discussion board unlocked!

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“NPC functions? What’s this?”

As it did not come with any further information, it seemed that Han Xiao would have to figure it out on his own. In any case, it was likely to do with the ways that NPCs interacted with players, such as handing out quests, buying and selling goods, and imparting skills.

In the beta test, the 30,000 players were distributed across over a dozen planets. Han Xiao was not too concerned over this, as one or two thousand players per planet would not really have much of an impact. Official release would be when all hell broke loose.

Nonetheless, interacting with some of them would be a good opportunity to learn more about his NPC functions.

The discussion board, on the other hand, was something that Han Xiao was already familiar with. It was an internal forum that players frequented a lot – especially while waiting to revive.

“To think that we would meet again. It’s probably only unlocked now due to the time being synced up.”

The button for the discussion board was located on a corner of the interface. Upon opening it up, Han Xiao was greeted by an empty forum. The account name on the top right of the window indicated ‘Guest’, and the registration button was grayed out.

Han Xiao clicked it out of curiosity.

_____________________

Attempting to Connect to the Dive-capsule…

No Player Detected

Registration Failed

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It took a few moments for Han Xiao to understand why – accounts for the discussion board could only be created with the unique ID of the user’s dive-capsule. This rule was implemented as a measure against trolls.

“Well, I can’t create a forum account, but at least I can access the forum for reading!”

There were a million questions on Han Xiao’s mind regarding the state of his existence. Perhaps, this forum would be able to give him the answers if he watched out for his own username.

“Interacting with the beta testers will be a good start.”

…

Character Name: Frenzied Sword

Regular Settings Selected

Character Creation Complete

Race: Human (Yellow)

Based on your preferences, you have been matched to Planet Aquamarine

Starting Zone: Big Horn Village (24.152, 182.644)

Spawning… Please wait…

Big Horn Village was one of several starting zones on Plant Aquamarine.

As Frenzied Sword’s consciousness slowly adjusted, he found himself standing atop a loess field. The warmth of the sun felt just like it was real and so too did the earthly smell of the soil. When he looked down to see his two arms, he was shocked by how realistic they looked and felt.

It was a small field, and Frenzied Sword noticed that there were hundreds of other players around him; they, too, were curiously examining their ‘bodies’. Each player’s name was displayed on the top of his head.

Following the mini-guide shown during character creation, Frenzied Sword opened up the character information window. It displayed that he was Lv. 1 and also showed the default starting equipment that he was equipped with: a shirt, a pair of pants, and a pair of shoes. They did not come with any stat bonuses.

“Damn it, I can’t strip!”

A fellow player nearby was causing a commotion. He appeared to be trying to remove his pants unsuccessfully.

‘What the hell are you even trying to do that for?’

The alarmed Frenzied Sword decided that moving away would be a good idea.

Frenzied Sword was a professional gamer, albeit not so well known. Aspiring professional gamer would be more accurate. He had only recently joined the scene, so he was, by all counts, a newcomer. He had been keeping a close eye on Galaxy ever since learning of its promising e-sports prospects, so when the beta test was announced, he immediately asked his association for a slot.

As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. Frenzied Sword was determined to succeed in this new game.

Conversation broke out amongst the crowd.

“This is so realistic!”

“What should we do now?”

“Any hints?”

Suddenly, a white-bearded, fearsome looking white elderly man appeared before the crowd and bellowed, “All of you outsiders! If you want to eat, then find yourself a job! Loafers are not welcome in our village! The crops in our farms need picking, and the shops to the south need workers! As long as you work hard, you will have food to eat!”

Beside the players’ health bars were two other bars for hunger and thirst. Upon reaching 0, the player would gain a [Hungry] or [Thirsty] debuff that would cause their health to drop.

Frenzied Sword ‘examined’ the old man.

_____________________

Based on your level, you acquired the following information:

Xander – Big Horn Mountain Village Chief

Level: ?

Stats: ?

[I am your village chief now.]

Danger Level: Middle

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Players had an ‘examine’ function that allowed them to learn an NPC’s name and information. However, the amount of information obtained differed based on their level difference.

“The weapons store sells guns, bullets, and other weapons, the marketplace is where people sell food and water, and the amphitheater is where you will find mounts to rent. If you wish to leave, there is a train station several kilometers north of here. If you wish to learn a craft, the blacksmith’s or the tailor’s are good choices…”

Xander’s explanation filled in the new players on their situation. There were only a few sub-classes and one combat class – [Novice Hunter] – available in this village, and they cost money to learn.

Frenzied Sword opened up the map to find it mostly shrouded in fog. Before he explored the planet, he would have to first earn money.

“Is it possible to take on hunting quests straight away?”

Frenzied Sword recognized the man, SliceYouUp, as the guild leader of the guild ‘Kill-all’. His IGN was telling of his personality.

Upon hearing his question, Xander burst out into laughter.

“You weaklings think that you stand a chance against wild beasts? See those mountains over there? If you are not afraid to die then by all means try, but it looks to me like none of you are even strong enough to even take on a Silver Hyena.”

The players looked towards where the old man pointed to see a range of forested mountains in the distance. Some of the mountains stood so tall that the clouds seemed to encircle them like huge, coiling pythons, creating an extremely scenic view that stole the breaths of the players. The graphics were incredibly life-like. Galaxy was clearly ahead of the competition.

Refusing to believe the old man, SliceYouUp took his party to purchase some basic equipment with the starting money of $100 and headed for the mountains.

It did not take long for them to return.

SliceYouUp, in particular, was shaken up quite badly. The first beast that he had encountered was a gorilla larger than an adult man. As soon as he raised his dagger, the gorilla threw its excrement at him, the force of which blew up his head. And it only got better. He respawned in the middle of a stampede.

‘Why the hell would that freaking monkey know how to throw its excrement‽ Must everything be so realistic‽’

For some reason, the foul smell still lingered around even after respawning. The developers were definitely trolling when they decided to add in this smell.

“WTF, aren’t those monsters too strong?”

“They didn’t even stand a chance!”

“He only managed to do 1 damage!!”

“Damn it, I dropped the knife I just bought!”

The amount of experience lost upon death depended on the character level. The respawn time also increased with each death. For the first death, respawning only took 10 seconds, but it would take a minute for the second, five for the third, and half an hour for the fourth, increasing up to a whopping six days.

Death was very costly in the Galaxy. Each character could also only die up to 10 times every day (6 days in-game). Reaching this limit would result in a character lock until the next day. It was an anti-addiction system that proved to be more effective than the ‘exhaustion system’ of certain mobile games.

The Kill-all party’s sad state immediately deterred the other players from thinking of hunting monsters. They quickly dispersed to find work to do.

As Xander watched over the buzz, he stroked his beard with a smile.

“The reward is so low! I only got $50!”

“Leveling is so slow! It took me half an hour of quests just to earn enough experience to level up!”

“Everything feels so real!”

“I hit myself to test, and blood actually came out! Amazing!”

“Something is wrong with you dude.”

The start was not as easy as the players had expected; everyone was at least put on a level playing field. Furthermore, there was an extremely high degree of freedom for them to choose what they wanted to do. As the players went about their quests, many started to find themselves enjoying the game. Quests were tiring yet felt so fulfilling.

‘Today is a blessed day!’

…

“Are you a pro gamer, too?”

Frenzied Sword recognized the trio walking towards him. They were also famous pros: Twinkle Fried Rice, a genius lauded for his mechanical skills, Sleepy Winter, a super veteran of e-sports, and Rainy Kim, a female idol gamer with tens of millions of fans.

In the face of these big gods of the gaming world, Frenzied Sword felt as though he had shrunk a few feet.

“Is something the matter?”

Sleepy Winter laughed, replying, “I was wondering – did you notice that the map sold in this town costs $3000?”

There were three groups of beta testers. The first group were casual gamers who won their spots from the lottery system, while the second group were professional gamers or prolific personalities for whom a certain number of spots were reserved for. As for the third group of beta testers, they bought their accounts from resellers.

The casual gamer would only be interested in checking out the game, but the latter two shared the same reason for playing the beta: to get a head start.

“This beta test will only last for twelve days in terms of game time. It’s quite obvious that doing the beginner quests here is a waste of time, but you should have noticed that we are not forced to do them at all. What we should do is to take advantage of our head start and start exploring this world! We can be the first to discover all of this planet’s secrets and treasures.”

Frenzied Sword nodded slowly.

As time was indeed limited, to dawdle around in a beginner zone did seem like a waste of precious time. Questing here would certainly give them a level advantage over the newer players, but that would be all.

In contrast, exploring seemed like a more promising – and definitely more fun – option!

“But why would you tell me all this?” he asked.

Sleepy Winter laughed.

“Those big guilds will definitely realize this soon enough. The problem is that they have the advantage in numbers, so they will easily be able to buy the map. What do you say to joining our party? It will definitely make things easier.”

Frenzied Sword accepted the invitation without hesitation.

“How are we splitting the cost?” asked Twinkle Fried Rice.

“Since I suggested it, I’ll contribute more,” replied Sleepy Winter.

“I don’t like to owe people, so I’ll contribute a thousand,” added Rainy Kim coldly. “My part’s settled.”

She immediately turned around and left to earn money from quests.

Sleepy Winter rubbed his nose bitterly.

‘We’ve known each other for a few years already, why won’t you give me a chance…’

…

With the money they earned from questing, the four of them were able to procure the map the following day. Obtaining it cleared some of the fog on their maps, and it also provided basic information on the planet’s current situation. They learnt of the Six Nations, the Germinal Organization, and the Revolutionary Army, amongst other factions.

“According to this, the two biggest powers are the Six Nations and the Germinal Organization. The Six Nations seem to have quite a number of training schools and academies. It’ll probably be easier to learn a main class there. Let’s see… seems like Stardragon isn’t a bad choice.”

Big Horn Mountain was situated in Stardragon, and the public train station was not too far away.

Sleepy Winter nodded.

“We don’t have much time. It’ll take about 3 days for us to reach the capital.”

Frenzied Sword groaned inwardly. He was starting to regret having joined the party. However, he knew that it was too late for him to chicken out.

…

The journey could not be skipped, so the party had to sit through the entire 3 days. There were some quests available on the train, but overall, it was not a pleasant trip at all. They did, however, have the forums to stifle their boredom. On the forums, players were posting about their experiences on the different starting zones.

It provided them with much amusement – except for Frenzied Sword, who could not stop worrying about the passing time.

After three days, the train arrived at the Western Capital.

Upon arriving at the great metal fences, each of them received a system message, alerting them of a new explored location.

“So, discovering places gives experience too, huh?”

“This is amazing,” gasped Twinkle Fried Rice as he looked around.

Everything was extremely realistic – down to the way that people were casting him strange looks.

The group proceeded to the security checkpoint where they were scanned for weapons.

After passing the check, the guard gave them each a temporary ID card, and they received a system message notifying them that they had unlocked reputation with Stardragon.

_____________________

Stardragon

Reputation: 0

Current Relationship: Neutral (Temporary Citizen)

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“Shall we continue as a group or go our own ways?” asked Sleepy Winter.

“I’ll follow you,” replied Twinkle Fried Rice immediately with a grin. The two of them were from the same gaming club.

Rainy Kim also decided to join them as some company was better than none.

“No bullying me,” she said flatly.

Sleepy Winter laughed. Unintentional or not, this girl said the cutest things. They exchanged a few more lines before Sleepy Winter finally turned to Frenzied Sword and asked, “What about you?”

Frenzied Sword was furious at being so blatantly overlooked, but he understood that there was no point in forcing himself to tag along.

“No- no need.” He waved his hand and stammered, “I prefer playing alone.”

“Alright then, good luck!”

As Frenzied Sword watched the trio of gods depart, he mumbled to himself, “Sooner or later, I’ll become popular too!”

The Western Capital was obviously a first-class city. Here, there would definitely be plenty of opportunities for him to surpass them and become number one!

Renewed with ambition, Frenzied Sword began to head off in another direction.

Suddenly, he noticed a masked man watching him.

Something about the way the man was looking at him seemed odd. As Frenzied Sword felt a chill run down his spine, he instinctively used the examine function.

_____________________

Name: Han Xiao (?)

Level: ?

Stats: ?

???

Danger Level: Fatal

“Fatal danger‽”

Frenzied Sword gulped. Even the armored security guard just now only had a ‘high’ danger level. This was his most dangerous encounter yet. Who exactly was this guy whose information was full of question marks‽

“Shouldn’t it be safe in the city? Will today be the first time that I die?”

Suddenly, the man spoke.

“Examining someone you just met? That’s not very polite.”

Frenzied Sword gave a start.

According to the official information, an NPC would know if it had been examined if it was over 30 levels higher than the player using the function.

Han Xiao chuckled to himself. He had simply predicted Frenzied Sword’s course of action.

After learning of the beta test, Han Xiao had taken note of all the nearby starting zones on his map. The closest one was none other than Big Horn Mountain Village. It was only three days away, but Han Xiao did not want to leave the Western Capital as Germinal was actively looking for him.

While keeping track of the influx of posts on the forums, Han Xiao came across a thread created by a player called Sleepy Winter. It was a post about the benefits of exploration.

Han Xiao knew who Sleepy Winter was – a legendary pro gamer who was quite active in public forums. He liked to discuss strategies and create guides. He was a good man, handsome (beside the point), and naturally had a huge fan base. In the Chinese server, he had ranked consistently amongst the top 30. Han Xiao himself had only ever peaked at 47th, and during a period of time, he even fell out of the top 100. That lesson that he had learnt then was to stay away from girls (if you want to succeed).

Once, he had shared his thoughts regarding this with the 28-year-old owner of the convenience store below his apartment building who he was on friendly terms with. The bachelor had laughed him off.

“Cool story bro,” he said, “but I’d rather have a girl.”

To which Han Xiao had replied, “But which girl would have you?”

That was the day that Han Xiao lost his special discount at that store.

The rankings were not based purely on combat. In Galaxy, there were all kinds of competitions apart from fighting – from treasure hunts to monster killing, and even races! As Han Xiao had taken on a number of revenge assignments from other players, his combat ability was quite polished. Unfortunately, he had lacked in other areas – such as trash talking. He never forgot to practice it though.

After reading the thread, Han Xiao had guessed that there would probably be a few players who would make it to the Western Capital. As such, over the past few days, he had spent some time keeping an eye out for any at the city entrance. He was able to spot the party of four easily as their names were – to Han Xiao’s surprise – clearly displayed over their heads. Furthermore, three of their names were those of famous people.

Han Xiao was not sure if the reason he could see their names was that he, too, had an interface.

Nevertheless, it was a good thing. Just like how players could see the names of NPCs, Han Xiao could recognize them on sight.

The reason that he had decided to make direct contact with a player was to test out his NPC functions.

“Brave adventurer, do you have time to help me?”

A standard line for a quest-giver.

Frenzied Sword’s eyes widened.

‘To think that I’d get the chance to interact with a high-level NPC this soon! This place is the best!’

He replied, as calmly as he could, “I am willing to help.”

“I need a loaf of bread. Can you find one?”

A confirmation window popped up as soon as Han Xiao asked the question.

_____________________

Do you wish to issue a quest to Frenzied Sword?

Y/N

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‘It really works!

‘Hold on, why are there automated prompts for an NPC function? Maybe I can automate my own actions too?’

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. Now was not the time to worry about those questions.

“Yes.”

A window appeared, along with some messages.

_____________________

Please set the requirements and rewards for the mission. The amount of experience that you can hand out is limited based on your level, rank, influence, and myth.

Note: You can choose to give objects that you possess ownership of as rewards: money, items, experience, skills, etc.

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The window was split into two sections. On the left side was a drop-down menu that allowed Han Xiao to select the quest type. There were a ton of quest types to choose from.

On the right side was for inputting the rewards. There were two lines: “Maximum Reward”, and “Daily Reward Limit”.

The Maximum Reward was currently set to 11,600 experience points. It also seemed to be provided by the system, meaning that Han Xiao would not have need to fork any out of his own pocket.

Daily Reward Limit referred to the amount of experience reward that Han Xiao could issue out in a day. Currently, it was fixed at five times the Maximum Reward (5 x 11600 = 58,000).

_____________________

Maximum Reward: 11600 exp

Level: 24 (7200 exp)

Rank: E (300 exp)

Faction(s):

Germinal – Hated (1000 exp)

Division 13 – Neutral (400 exp)

Myth Level: 0

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As Han Xiao tested the settings out, he discovered a limitation – if the current Maximum Reward did not meet the minimum amount required for a quest, he would not be able to issue it – a Rank A quest such as destroying the Germinal Organization would require a Rank A reward.

Han Xiao’s maximum reward of 11,600 meant that he could only issue E-rank quests. D-rank quests required a reward of at least 30,000 exp. The reward criteria also seemed to differ among the different quest types. No further messages popped up to explain this, so it seemed like Han Xiao would have to figure it out on his own through trial and error.

Han Xiao tried to issue himself a quest, but it failed.

“If only I could have some of that sweet experience…”

Although he now had the ability to hand out experience like water, he himself was only earning about 20,000 to 30,000 exp a day. Of course, there was no way that he would help someone else.

“Seems like I could use this to my advantage though…” Han Xiao’s eyes began to twinkle. It was possible to use this function to manipulate players into doing his bidding. After all, players would do any quest if the reward was high enough.

Han Xiao suddenly had an epiphany. “I have to increase my maximum reward!”

In most games, it was the key, high-level NPCs who gave the hardest missions and the highest rewards. The quest function’s system made perfect sense.

Han Xiao issued a regular mission to Frenzied Sword.

Frenzied Sword stared at the mission window with his mouth agape.

‘What kind of high level NPC would ask for a loaf of bread and reward only $1‽’

“Hold on… he could just be testing me!”

Frenzied Sword recalled that in some of the games he had played before, there were indeed quests like this.

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed to him, so Frenzied Sword whipped out all seven of the bread loaves he had in his possession and put them into Han Xiao’s hands.

“This is all the bread I have,” he added sincerely.

Han Xiao was stunned.

‘What’s going on? Are gamers these days so excessive with doing quests?’

Nonetheless, a completion dialogue popped up when Han Xiao received the bread.

There were too many quest types to test out, so Han Xiao decided to try out the other NPC functions.

There was an icon in the shape of a person beside Frenzied Sword’s name above his head. When Han Xiao focused on it, an RPG-style meter bar popped out. The bar was half red, half green, and with a needle at the center.

[Do you want to adjust Favorability with Frenzied Sword?]

“I can even do this‽” Han Xiao was a bit scared to try. What if changing this also adjusted his thoughts?

“If I set favorability to maximum, will I… turn gay on the spot?

“No no no no no – I can’t risk that.”

Han Xiao decided to test it by moving the needle slightly left to reduce favorability by five. He heaved a sigh of relief when nothing else seemed to change.

“This function isn’t very useful…”

_____________________

Your favorability with Han Xiao has dropped by 5.

Current status: Stranger

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‘What the-‽ Why would my favorability go down after quest completion?

‘What the hell?’

As Han Xiao was wondering if he could perform transactions with players, he began to laugh shadily.

“Hey kid, not bad. I only sell my goods to people I like, and I like you.”

Frenzied Sword’s jaw dropped.

‘My favorability dropped, but he still says that he likes me‽’

_____________________

Do you want to open up a shop to Frenzied Sword?

Y/N

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‘Confirm.’

A shop window immediately popped up. The window was divided into two sections. The left section was titled ‘Item Shop’, and there was a system hint saying that it was possible for Han Xiao to put up items on display even if they were not currently on his person. The right section was titled ‘Skill Shop’, where Han Xiao could put his own skills up for sale. Han Xiao fiddled around with the settings.

_____________________

Please set a price. You may select money, experience, or items.

You may also set buying requirements such as favorability, level, skills, class, etc.

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So far, Han Xiao had been dealing in Aquamarine’s international currency—the Aquamarine Dollar. The ‘Inar’ was the standard universal currency. Han Xiao discovered to his surprise that the shop function allowed him to set the item price in any currency that he had ever come into contact with.

An idea suddenly came to Han Xiao. ‘I can set favorability requirements to manipulate—I mean—attract players to keep coming back for quests!’

Han Xiao was reminded of how he had spent long hours grinding out high difficulty quests just to achieve exalted status with the Alliance of Light—all for the sake of a battleship.

Now, however, the tables had turned.

‘This interface is the best!’

A shop interface popped up in front of Frenzied Sword. As he scanned through the items, his eyes began to widen in disbelief.

“Godly equips!” he blurted.

“[Retractable Knife], [Incendiary Bullets], [73-Wasp], [Jackson Assault Rifle], [Bayonet Rifle]…”

Frenzied Sword was shaking uncontrollably. To him, all of these were ‘godly equips’ that would allow him to surpass any other player!

However, his expression changed when he looked at their price tags. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him.

Even the cheapest of them, the [Incendiary Bullets], cost a hundred dollars each, while the [Lightweight Mecha Arm] required 10 favorability!

‘This is daylight robbery! And how am I supposed to gain favorability with this NPC when completing his quests reduces it instead‽

‘No wonder this NPC’s danger level is so high. It’s definitely still too early to interact with him.’

But Frenzied Sword only knew true pain when he took a look at the Skill Shop.

[Basic Combat], [Basic Shooting], [Submission]… the sight of these skills caused Frenzied Sword to start drooling… until he saw their prices.

There was also a [Mechanic Class Change Tome], and an array of Mechanic skills, but none of them were as eye-catching as the [Energy Training Technique]!

“Godly skill!”

Han Xiao shook his head upon seeing Frenzied Sword’s reaction.

“You aren’t a Technician, so you are unable to learn it.”

By now, Han Xiao had already been solidified as a Secret NPC in Frenzied Sword’s mind.

‘If I can make him my teacher, I will definitely become rank 1 in no time!

‘But… I really wanted to be a Pugilist…’

That much was obvious from his in-game name.

‘Damn it! This had better be worth it!’

_____________________

Are you sure you want to become a Mechanic?

Y/N

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“Yes!”

…

_____________________

[Basic Weaponry] learnt. You have gained 500 exp, $100.

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Buying a skill was like paying for lessons, and Han Xiao’s skill level would remain unchanged.

Of course, the skills that Han Xiao had chosen to put on display were the more common and easily obtainable ones—not that any player would know at this point.

…

Frenzied Sword’s reaction to [Energy Training Technique] confirmed this. He obviously did not know that the skill was automatically given to all characters after the first advancement at Lv. 20.

It wasn’t that Han Xiao was trying to scam him, though. On the contrary, he had purposely set its cost at a whopping 10,000 exp and $3,000 just to make the shop look ‘nicer’. He had also placed a requirement of 10 favorability on it.

“Oh right!” Han Xiao quickly reverted Frenzied Sword’s favorability back to 0, which caused him to immediately have the wrong idea.

‘I must buy more things from him in order to increase favorability!’

Suddenly, the NPC began to walk away.

“Where can I find you‽” yelled a flustered Frenzied Sword after him.

Han Xiao thought for a moment before handing him a piece of paper with the workshop’s address on it.

As Frenzied Sword watched him leave, he began to grow excited.

‘This is my chance!

‘With those skills and equips, I will definitely be able to climb to the top!’

Suddenly, his expression froze.

‘I cannot let anyone find this Secret NPC!’

…

To a city as big as the Western Capital, a few beta testers were truly insignificant. For now, Han Xiao did not have any interest in them. The only reason he had come into contact with one was to test the NPC functions, and they certainly did not disappoint. Han Xiao was already thinking up ways to use them for scamming players.

‘Frenzied Sword…’

As Han Xiao thought back to the player from before, scenes from another lifetime began to play out in his mind.

In his previous life, Frenzied Sword had been part of the first batch of professional ‘Galaxy’ players. As a Pugilist, he had taken the first competitive season by storm and won one of twenty-four spots to represent China internationally. This honor alone had cemented his status as a legend.

Unfortunately, this future Pugilist legend was now a Mechanic.

Han Xiao did not know exactly how Frenzied Sword’s fortunes would play out in this timeline, but he did know one thing for sure: there would be no Frenzied Sword representing China in the near future.

The only reason Han Xiao dared to choose the Mechanic class was that he knew it would eventually become the strongest class. However, this was something that no other player could know. In fact, the class seemed so bad from the start that in Han Xiao’s past life, numerous gamers, including pros, who chose the Mechanic class would give up their characters and restart in another class.

‘I feel like I scammed him big time or something…’

Han Xiao shook his head.

‘Scam? Nah. He made the decision himself. On the contrary, if he can endure a few patches then he’ll have me to thank… yeah…’

From enlisting in the Stardragon Army to joining underworld societies, there was no lack of work opportunities for players in the Western Capital. Even just by walking on the streets and interacting with NPCs, there were plenty of quests waiting to be triggered. From the money that they earned from these common quests such as “Find the Missing Purse”, “Rescue the Cat Stuck on the Tree”, and other collection missions, it became clear to Sleepy Winter that exploring had been the right thing to do.

Of course, as the Western Capital was a high-level zone, there were many places that the trio found inaccessible at their current level. Rainy Kim had been rejected at the gates of the Western Capital Academy while Twinkle Fried Rice had been held at gunpoint when he’d tried to enter District 1, almost giving away his first death.

The day after, the trio enlisted in the Stardragon Army, thereby gaining their first combat class: [Recruit]. After a couple of training quests, their Faction changed from [Stardragon] to [Stardragon Army], and they earned the rank of [Private].

Out of goodwill, Sleepy Winter messaged Frenzied Sword to let him know about being able to join the army, but Frenzied Sword only replied briefly in acknowledgement. For some reason, he seemed uninterested.

What Sleepy Winter did not know was that Frenzied Sword was preoccupied with trying to win Han Xiao’s favor.

In order to test out the limitations of the quest function, Han Xiao entertained Frenzied Sword and issued him with all sorts of strange quests, such as [Kick Ten People in the Ass], [Strip a Patrolling Officer of His Shorts], [Remain in a Ballerina Pose for Five Minutes], and many more.

From these tests, Han Xiao learned that as long as the maximum reward was able to match the quest’s difficulty, he would be able to choose any type of quest scenario that he wanted.

Meanwhile, things were a bit different on the receiving end. Frenzied Sword, who found himself only being assigned crude and twisted quests, gradually began to develop a sense of fear toward Han Xiao.

Nonetheless, he religiously completed all of the quests as the experience that Han Xiao rewarded him with was several times more than the standard reward. That alone was enough for him to ignore his own morals.

The quests allowed him to level up rapidly, and he used the earnings themself to learn more basic skills from Han Xiao.

The beta test might have been unexpected for Han Xiao, but overall, it did not do much to disrupt his plans. The beta players were simply too scattered and few in number to have much influence on their respective starting planets. Twelve days was not enough time for them to level up significantly.

It would take longer for a breeze to develop into a storm.

In the long haul, however, the influx of players would be like a gold mine to Han Xiao.

Helping to strengthen Frenzied Sword was only the first step. Soon, his progress would definitely catch the attention of the other players and his own association. His association would certainly capitalize on it and release information on this ‘secret NPC’ in order to gain popularity. That was when the money and experience would start pouring in for Han Xiao. Frenzied Sword might have thought he was hogging Han Xiao to himself, but he was actually dancing in the palm of his hand.

…

[Official Launch Countdown: 126 Days 11 Hours 32 Minutes]

Aside from crafting [Incendiary Bullets], Han Xiao spent most of his free time browsing the forums.

Although it was usually buzzing with discussion and players would frequent it while their characters were dead or had set up shop, there were only beta players posting now.

“The women on Aquamarine are so beautiful!”

“Urgently looking for party members to fight the Sand Bandits. Location: Fallen Dragon Valley, Planet Longtune. Coordinates are…”

“A shot of Planet Brighton’s magical floating city.”

“I somehow transformed myself into some tentacled monster. How do I change back‽”

“Damn it, teach me how!”

…

Most of the threads were posted to request help or share information. Some parties also used the forums as a means to record and share their progress.

There were over a dozen beginner planets of various civilizations available in the beta—magical civilizations, scientific civilizations, and religious civilizations, to name a few. The societal structure of each planet also varied.

The most popular planet seemed to be Planet Winterfrost, which was ruled by the void demon race. The planet also served as an outpost for the Destruction Army, whose aim was to ‘destroy all civilizations’. In Han Xiao’s past life, they were an enemy who had given him quite a headache.

As Han Xiao refreshed the forum page, a new thread caught his attention.

“First B-class quest!”

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. He recalled that the first B-class mission had only appeared after the official launch. How could someone have unlocked such a high class mission during the beta test?

Curious, he entered the thread to see that it was already erupting with discussion.

“Who are you trying to fool? I haven’t even seen a D-class quest yet.”

“Are you dumb? He posted pictures as proof!”

“They must be fake! Why is there only a quest name but no quest information?”

“Nice try, clown. Who would want to share their quest information with you.”

“It must be super hard. I’m still at the beginner zone. Does anyone know how to get out?”

“The poster is the official account of the Throne of Gods guild. They’re legit. It should be true.”

“Does anyone know which planet this is?”

“All of you are noobs.”

“Sorry, my dog ran over my keyboard.”

…

Han Xiao chuckled. In his nostalgia, he continued reading through all the banter before finally checking out the contents of the original post. There was only a cropped screenshot of a quest name.

_____________________

B-class Quest: [Investigate Zero]

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Han Xiao scrolled up to check the poster’s name.

‘Throne of Gods?’

The Throne of Gods was a prestigious guild that boasted a line-up of renowned gamers. They were so big that they even had their own line of goods.

In his previous life, Han Xiao had once taken up an assignment to strip their leader and take pictures of him in various embarrassing poses. He had then posted them on the forums with the title: “Shocking! Why would the leader of the Throne of Gods…” and charged a fee for viewing. While Han Xiao had earned his money, he had also ended up being chased around by the entire guild for an entire month.

‘Ah, I miss player killing…’ Han Xiao sighed as he turned around to look at Frenzied Sword, causing him to freeze up.

Han Xiao shook his head.

If things went as they had previously, the Throne of Gods would join the Germinal faction to become the biggest player guild on their side. It was already looking likely.

Germinal must be hellbent on getting him this time, for even beta players to be able to acquire the mission to look for him.

For the average player, it would be impossible to evade the notice of Division 13 while trying to locate Han Xiao by themselves. Normally, it would take a large amount of people to even have a chance of succeeding. However, the Throne of Gods did not seem to lack manpower.

As he considered the situation, Han Xiao finally decided on which Germinal base to act upon next.

…

The Throne of Gods guild had 15 players in the beta test. It was a team of core members led by both the leader and the vice-leader. Before the beta test started, they had already decided to list science as a preference.

Their reasoning was simple—since the world of Galaxy had a ‘galactic’ setting, science would definitely be a core driving force of the game. As such, they were all able to start together on Aquamarine and had also quickly purchased a map to begin exploring.

The leader, Jupiter, was the one who decided to join the Germinal Organization. Their starting zone had also been close to a Germinal base.

Jupiter thought that the Germinal Organization was probably the strongest faction on the planet as they able to stand strong against all of the nations on their own. Choosing them had nothing to do with favoring their ideology or anything like that. After all, their only priority was to get stronger.

And reality did not betray their expectations. After joining Germinal, they were brought to the Dark Crow Valley Base where they underwent tough training to become low level grunts.

The biggest gain that they received there, however, was none other than the B-class quest, [Investigate Zero].

The only information provided by the quest was that the target, Zero, was currently residing within Stardragon.

At present, the 15 members were having a top-secret meeting to discuss how they would complete the quest.

“This is our first B-class quest,” said Jupiter in a low voice. “As there doesn’t seem to be fighting involved, with our level, we have a good chance of succeeding. The rewards are extremely good. With them, we will definitely be able to become the number one guild!”

“All we know is that Zero is in the country, but Stardragon is just too big,” added Poseidon, a core member of the guild. “The beta test period is too short, so I think that we should only aim to complete the quest after official launch. Now, we should just do some preliminary investigation.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“The quest information only tells us that Zero is an enemy of the Germinal Organization. If we manage to kill him, will there be a bonus reward?”

“Nice thinking, as expected of our leader.”

“But that would most likely be A-class difficulty,” pointed out Poseidon.

“There’s no impossible quest in a game. We just have to find the way,” answered Jupiter matter-of-factly. “The official launch is one week after the end of this beta test. During this period of time, we will also have to discuss the matter with the rest of the guild.”

“In any case,” added Shiva, the vice-leader, “with the backing of our gaming organization, we are the ones with the highest chance of completing this quest.”

“That is true,” agreed Jupiter.

“It would be faster if we made use of the other players,” suggested Poseidon.

Jupiter’s eyes lit up.

“Good idea. Let’s release Zero’s face and put up a reward for any valuable leads.”

Rich guilds had their way of doing things.

‘The Throne of Gods sure has deep pockets! If only I could find Zero…’

The reward on Zero’s wanted poster was extremely alluring, but Frenzied Sword knew that as he was operating alone, it would be like trying to search for a needle in a haystack.

While it might have been a pity, it did not bother him too much. Frenzied Sword’s eyes filled up with fire as he took another look at Han Xiao.

‘As long as I latch onto this guy, I will level up faster than anyone!’

Initially, performing all the strange quests that Han Xiao gave him did give him a sense of aversion. However, he gradually discovered that they not were that bad after all—at the very least, they were interesting to do. Compared to hunting monsters, running around to carry out these ‘errands’ was much simpler. Of course, this came at the expense of his morality.

One day, he realized that his mind was becoming more open, and he had an epiphany: ‘shame is but an obstacle to human evolution!’

‘Me, a pervert? No no no, I have simply transcended! I have found the way!’

“Does that guy like you or something?” asked a bemused Lu Qian as she pointed at Frenzied Sword. He was staring at Han Xiao dreamily from the entrance of the workshop.

“…”

“He seems pretty sincere. Why don’t you give him a chance?” she teased, giggling.

It was the first time that she had spoken normally to Han Xiao since the misunderstanding.

Han Xiao rolled his eyes and reached out to tickle her, causing her to yell out and dodge, startled. Hugging her sides with crossed arms, Lu Qian watched Han Xiao closely with puppy eyes in anticipation of his next attack.

Her grandfather’s attempts at playing matchmaker had initially caused her much headache. However, she soon discovered that there was no cause for concern as Han Xiao was not particularly interested in her. To be more specific, he did not even seem to be interested in women at all! Although this eased her worries, it also raised other concerns.

A woman’s heart is unfathomable. Pay her attention and she might become wary of you, but neglecting her won’t do either.

Unfortunately, one’s looks also play an important factor. If you are good looking enough, you won’t have to worry about it.

Lu Qian’s casual attire was revealing a tantalizing view of her front, but it did nothing to stir Han Xiao’s heart. Having been working for up to 15 hours almost every day recently, crafting had become the only thing that he could think about.

Sometimes, he even found himself designing guns and weapons in his dreams! And the scary part was that once, when he woke up, he realized that the designs were all practical! This served as a wake-up call to Han Xiao, and he would think back to fond times with Mei Mei, Mei Mei, Mei Mei, and a dozen or so more ex-girlfriends to regain his senses. (These names all sound the same, but they are different characters in Chinese)

A man may die, but he must go down with his bird.

Han Xiao ignored Frenzied Sword. By his calculations, the beta test would end in a day. The only reason Han Xiao had chosen to make contact with a player was to test the NPC functions.

Suddenly, the interface lit up.

_____________________

You have triggered the sudden quest: [Assassination]!

Quest Hint: The assassin is closing in!

Completion Requirement: Survive the encounter.

Quest Reward: Unknown

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Han Xiao’s face stiffened.

The attack could happen at any moment!

“Damn it! Old Lu is not home now!”

For the quest to have triggered despite Feng Jun and his men keeping watch in the neighborhood meant that the enemy definitely had some kind of special ability to invade without getting detected! There was a high chance that it was a superhuman!

Han Xiao immediately dashed into his room to retrieve his equipment. It was vital to avoid dragging Old Lu and Lu Qian into the mix as it could jeopardize his plans to unlock the hidden scenario that he had come here for all along.

Facing his attacker head-on was also more of his style.

Frenzied Sword chased after Han Xiao.

As they ran, Han Xiao began to feel like someone was watching him.

The temperature of the air suddenly began to drop, causing Frenzied Sword to rub his arms in fear. Even he could feel the murderous intent in the air.

As they walked down an alley, Han Xiao’s sense of danger began to escalate from a tingle into an alarm.

Darkness was already creeping upon the unknowing pair. Before they realized it, they were transported into a world devoid of sight and sound. Strangely, however, this pitch-black darkness made Han Xiao feel extremely safe and comfortable, as though he were back in his mother’s womb. All that remained was an overwhelming allure to fall into eternal slumber.

An illusion!

Han Xiao forced his eyes open.

_____________________

You are under the attack of an illusion. As your Intelligence is higher than 50, you are able to resist its effects.

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The darkness around Han Xiao began to shatter as the effects of the illusion faded.

As Han Xiao regained his senses, he discovered that there was a man standing five meters away with a gun pointed directly at him. The assassin was wearing a victorious smirk.

Click.

He pulled the trigger.

Han Xiao’s eyes widened.

‘How am I supposed to dodge a shot at point blank range‽’

People often say that time slows down in the face of danger. What happened next was on a whole new level.

In the face of imminent death, the world around Han Xiao suddenly began to slow down. The expression of panic on Han Xiao’s face was replaced by a look of absolute coolness as his mind cast aside all unnecessary thoughts and emotions in order to process the situation.

‘It’s not over yet!’

The flow of time resumed.

In the very instant that the bullet left the barrel, Han Xiao activated [Strafe], causing his entire body to seemingly fade and reappear.

[Strafe]’s effect allowed the user to move anywhere within a three-meter radius, but it was not exactly ‘instant’. While any movement using [Strafe] would seem extremely fast, moving a shorter distance would be even faster. Han Xiao was able to dodge the fatal shot by moving just 2 inches.

The bullet grazed past the side of his face; all it caused was a searing sensation.

The assassin’s expression changed.

‘How could he have dodged my sure-kill shot‽’

With his illusory powers, Norsa had successfully carried out over a hundred assassinations for the Germinal Organization. So far, it had not mattered whether his targets also had superpowers. However, according to the intel given to him, Zero should at most be at the level of an elite agent! How could someone who relied on machinery to fight be able to break free of his illusion‽

The intel was completely off the mark!

As Han Xiao dodged, he whipped out both Berserk Eagles from his waist and activated [Overload] as he fired a volley of deafening shots. The recoil from the shots was so powerful that it caused his hands to shake.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All of the shots found their mark on Norsa’s chest.

A perfect counterattack. Han Xiao’s skillful usage of the Strafe might not have seemed difficult, but it would not have been possible to pull off without the wealth of combat experience that he possessed.

Norsa began to stagger backwards. He had used energy to protect his body—otherwise he would have been shredded to bits. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he immediately summoned whatever energy he had left to back up and flee.

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and gave pursuit as he loaded a gun up with [Incendiary Ammo] to fire a shot in the direction of Norsa’s escape.

The ensuing sea of fire forced Norsa to stop in his tracks. Gritting his teeth, he turned around to face Han Xiao.

Norsa’s eyes began to glow with a mysterious seven-colored aura.

_____________________

You are under the attack of an illusion. As your Intelligence is higher than 50, you are able to resist its effects.

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Bang!

Han Xiao unhesitatingly fired a single, precise shot that drilled a hole through the assassin’s throat.

Norsa clutched his neck in horror.

‘My illusory powers have never failed me! Why is he unaffected‽’

Han Xiao strode forward to smack Norsa onto the ground with both guns. He then pressed them against his chest, pinning him to the ground.

Bang!

The sound of the shot was dull.

As the incendiary bullet penetrated Norsa’s body, his internal organs were immediately set ablaze. He began to flail his limbs wildly—but only for a moment.

_____________________

You have killed the Germinal Organization Executor, Norsa (Lv. 25 Superhuman), earning 7,500 exp.

You have completed the sudden quest, [Assassination]. You have been rewarded with a Character Summoning Card.

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Han Xiao steadied his breath. Blood had stained his mask and was dripping down his face onto the floor.

It was silent, apart from the crackle of the flames.

Norsa’s death freed Frenzied Sword from the illusion. His jaw dropped upon noticing the aftermath of the battle.

‘What the hell just happened here‽’

Feng Jun arrived late to the party with his team of fully-equipped field agents. When he saw the blood on Han Xiao’s mask, his first reaction was to feel Han Xiao’s chin for any wounds.

“Are you hurt?”

“Are you blind?” snapped Han Xiao, pointing to the graze on his cheek.

“That’s good…” Feng Jun heaved a sigh of relief before looking at Han Xiao apologetically. They had failed in their duty to keep him safe.

“It’s not your fault,” consoled Han Xiao.

“This man is the Germinal Organization’s executor,” he explained, pointing toward Norsa’s corpse. “He’s an assassin who has never failed.”

“Norsa Connor‽”

Norsa was widely feared even among the Six Nations. Once, he had gunned down a high-ranking Stardragon official in broad daylight despite tight security.

Upon confirming the identity of the corpse, Feng Jun’s shock turned into amazement.

“Hold on, he came to assassinate you… but you killed him instead‽ Are you really that strong‽”

“You only realized that now?”

Han Xiao glared at him as he checked the interface for the quest reward.

_____________________

Character Summoning Card: You are able to use this character’s ability once.

Character: Norsa Connor

Ability: Illusory Power (E) – Only targets with more than 50 Intelligence can resist this ability.

Usage Count: 0/1

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Character Summoning Cards were quite uncommon in Galaxy. They only dropped from special quests, and their function was to allow the player to use the ability of the NPC character stated on the card. In Galaxy, people farmed and sold these for money, but it was only the rich players, who could afford to indiscriminately use them, who bought them. Although not Han Xiao’s style, it was always better to have more tools at one’s disposal.

Fortunately, Han Xiao had assigned all his stat points to Intelligence beforehand, otherwise things would have played out very differently.

‘Germinal Organization, thanks for the gift!’

_____________________

Do you wish to accept your reward now?

Y/N

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‘Yes.’

It was a ‘use’ item that could be stored within the interface, allowing Han Xiao to pull it out whenever he needed it.

Meanwhile, Frenzied Sword was still trying to comprehend the situation. When he used the examine function to learn that these mysterious men in black were aligned with the ‘Stardragon Strategic Defense Initiative’, he couldn’t help but look toward Han Xiao in wonderment.

“You know this guy?” Feng Jun asked Han Xiao curiously as he pointed at Frenzied Sword.

“Just ignore him.”

As Han Xiao wiped the blood of his face with a handkerchief that Feng Jun passed to him, he frowned.

“If Norsa has found me, then it means the Germinal Organization must know exactly where I am.”

“Not necessarily,” replied Feng Jun. “The intelligence department has the network locked down. Any mention of you is blocked from being transmitted out.”

Han Xiao’s spirits immediately lifted.

“Are you sure?”

Feng Jun nodded.

“But… Norsa definitely wasn’t operating alone. He must have passed the intel on to Germinal spies hiding within the capital. It’ll probably be a matter of time before they relay the information.”

Han Xiao abruptly started to run out of the alley.

“Hey, where are you going?” called out Feng Jun hastily. “I still have to take you back to HQ for debriefing!”

“No time to explain! Quickly request for permission to seal all of the city’s exits!”

It was possible that Norsa had learned of his whereabouts from the spies in the city, and that he had come straight for him right after. In that case, it was not too late to take action!

Han Xiao knew exactly who the head honcho of the spy network was. The reason he had not taken action against him so far was that the Germinal would simply send a replacement to take over. On the contrary, leaving him alive had its advantages.

Norsa’s death would confirm Han Xiao’s presence in the Western Capital, but if he could stop the intel from getting out, the Germinal would not be able to pinpoint his location.

Of course, all of this was simply guesswork; it was possible that a spy had already left the city to deliver the intel. Nevertheless, it was worth a shot.

“Li Ya Lin, tell the others to meet up with me at District 8. These are the coordinates… Remember to drive a car!”

“Of all places, the slums‽ I was expecting at least a fancy restaurant!”

“There’s no time, just do as I asked!”

After hanging up, Han Xiao smashed the window of the nearest car by the roadside and jumped in.

The owner was making a phone call right beside his car when the sudden sound of shattering glass gave him a fright. He immediately ran over to the driver side and grabbed Han Xiao by the collar.

“You! Get out now!”

The next second, he found himself yanked halfway into the car with his head pinned against the steering wheel, causing the car horn to bellow noisily.

“Nice timing!”

Han Xiao immediately began to search the poor car owner’s body for the car keys. Upon finding them, he ungraciously shoved him out of the window and sped off into the distance.

As the car owner sat dazed on the floor with a big bruise on his face, he wondered aloud, “Damn, since when were car thieves this brazen?”

…

As Han Xiao weaved through traffic at high speed, he soon noticed the wail of a police siren.

“The car in front, stop right now!” yelled the traffic police officer on his motorbike.

Han Xiao tossed the car owner’s driving license out of the window and yelled back, “Deduct as many points as you like!”

The officer ended up tailing Han Xiao all the way to District 8, where Han Xiao quickly got off and began to stride off in big steps. The persistent police officer ran up to him to block his path.

“You! Stop right now!”

Han Xiao rolled his eyes in exasperation. With a quick chop that the police officer could never have seen coming, he knocked him out cold.

Through a series of twisting alleys—in the process, disposing of three muggers—Han Xiao soon arrived at a small, dilapidated church building. It was now used as a means of shelter by some homeless people.

In the warring period of the old era, religion had served as a means of mental support for many. At one point, this church in particular had managed to amass millions of believers.

However, the ‘savior’ that they believed in never appeared, so eventually, people stopped believing.

There were a number of vagrants in the building, but when Han Xiao could not see the one that he was looking for, he abruptly grabbed the nearest one up and questioned, “Have you seen a tall, bearded man with the tattoo of a red wolf on the back of his hand?”

The vagrant shivered at the sight of the blood covering Han Xiao.

“You mean Lu Gao En?” he answered meekly. “We call him ‘Tongueless’ because he never seems to speak. I think he went somewhere in the afternoon.”

Afternoon?

Even regular citizens needed to go through lengthy checks at one of the three guard post in order to leave the Western Capital. As it was currently only 2PM, there was still a chance for Han Xiao to stop him.

He could not count on Division 13 to pass a restriction order. Even if they were willing to, it would take some time for them to come to the decision. By then, Lu Gao En would most likely have left the capital.

Han Xiao furrowed his brows. Which of the three exits was Lu Gao En at? Time was ticking.

Lu Gao En left less than two hours ago, meaning that he must have received Norsa’s intel just then.

Since Norsa had come directly to assassinate him, he must have tasked Lu Gao En with reporting the information back to their organization. Lu Gao En would definitely not have expected Han Xiao to know of him, so he would not see a need to deliver the intel with haste. Under such circumstances, the city pass that he would use would most likely be the one nearest to him—the Northwest Pass.

However, it was still possible that he would choose to use either of the further passes.

There was no way to tell.

“Ay, Han Xiao, we’re here. What did you call us here for?”

Li Ya Lin, Zhang Wei, and Lambert arrived. They had managed to come on time thanks to Li Ya Lin’s ride, a yellow convertible sports car.

“An emergency mission. One of Germinal’s spies here acquired some important information. There’s a chance that he hasn’t left the city yet, but he could be at any of the three passes.”

Li Ya Lin wiped the playful smile off her face upon hearing the severity of the situation.

“Do you have a picture of him?” she asked.

Han Xiao picked up some scraps of newspaper around him and began to draw out a rough image of Lu Gao En from his faded memory. He then yanked the homeless guy from earlier on up and barked, “Look at this, does it look like Lu Gao En?”

“The eyes should be lower… his nose is a little crooked… hair is shorter…”

With the man’s help, Han Xiao was able to produce sketches of Lu Gao En with a 70 or 80 percent resemblance. He then passed them to the trio and instructed, “Let’s split up and get the security officers to keep an eye out for this person. Li Ya Lin and I will take her car to the furthest city entrance, while each of you will go to the other two.”

Zhang Wei’s face twitched as Han Xiao gave them the orders. ‘Am I still the leader of this team?’

Nonetheless, he let it slide as it was an emergency.

As they set off, Han Xiao immediately hopped into the driver’s seat of Li Ya Lin’s car.

“Hey, it’s my car!” grumbled Li Ya Lin immediately. “I’ll drive.”

“You drive too slow.”

“You don’t trust the driving skills of a top agent‽” Li Ya Lin was so outraged that her eyebrows were almost contorted upside-down. Unfortunately, she knew that there was no time to argue, so she grudgingly got into the passenger’s seat.

“Tighten your seatbelt,” reminded Han Xiao.

Li Ya Lin rolled her eyes at him, replying, “You must be joking. I’m a pugilist; I’ll be fine no matter how fast you go.”

“Suit yourself,” replied Han Xiao with a plain nod as he stamped on the accelerator.

…

Half an hour later, a yellow sports car appeared at the South Entrance. Spinning almost full-circle, the car left four sizzling, black tire marks on the road as it came to an abrupt stop.

“Bleargh—”

“Hey, hey, I thought you were a pugilist?”

“You… don’t talk to me n— bleeaarrgh—”

Li Ya Lin puked non-stop as she leaned on the car door.

“Half an hour, and 27 car accidents… or was it 28? My head’s spinning so much that I can’t even count.

“Who taught you to drive?”

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.

“Does driving have to be taught?”

“D-doesn’t it?”

“The first driver didn’t have anyone to teach him, did he?”

Li Ya Lin gaped in the face of Han Xiao’s perfect logic. She was about to shoot back at him when, suddenly, the urge to vomit kicked in again, causing her to throw her head back to the side.

“Really? I only drove a little fast, that’s all.”

“A little fast? I doubt the word ‘brake’ even exists in your vocabulary!”

“Fine, fine, let’s stop wasting time.”

As Li Ya Lin tried to get back on her feet, she lost balance and almost tripped into her own pile of vomit. Fortunately, Han Xiao was able to provide support in time. Shaking his head, he began to drag her along with him toward the sentry post.

As they neared the post, the stationed troop yelled out, “Stop! Show your ID!”

As Han Xiao reached into his pockets to take out his ID card, his expression froze as he realized that he had forgotten to bring them along. Without asking, he directly reached into Li Ya Lin’s pockets to find hers.

Top pockets… none.

Bottom pockets… none.

“Where’s your pass?” he asked.

As Li Ya Lin still seemed too dizzy to think straight, Han Xiao continued feeling around that dynamite body of hers for it.

‘I— I’m being taken advantage of‽’

“Ah! I found it,” rejoiced Han Xiao. He then held the pass up toward the guard, who had been gulping at the show.

“Oh, you guys are agents. Come on in.”

As Han Xiao took a few steps forward, he discovered that Li Ya Lin was still rooted to the spot, giving him a deathly stare.

“What’s wrong? Hurry up.”

Li Ya Lin took a deep breath to compose herself.

“Give me my ID back,” she said stiffly.

“Why so fussy?” replied Han Xiao impatiently. He then casually walked back toward her and slotted the pass back into her rear pocket.

Li Ya Lin’s eyes widened.

‘I— I’m being taken advantage of again‽’

Han Xiao then strode toward the sentry post to give the military officer in charge of security the sketch of Lu Gao En.

“Please wait a moment as the system performs a footage scan.”

Li Ya Lin entered the sentry post still biting her lips. The way that Han Xiao had felt her up did not seem to contain any ill-intentions at all. As such, she was having a hard time even getting angry at him. She was just very unhappy, for some reason, and she continued glaring at him.

…

Lu Gao En worked for an intelligence organization known as Storm Eye, one of the many sub-groups that were secretly under the wing of the Germinal Organization.

In most cities, Storm Eye had one ‘head contact’ in charge of relaying information back to the Germinal Organization, as well as a few covert agents who gathered intel and only reported back to the head contact.

One of Lu Gao En’s agents had reported seeing someone matching Zero’s description in District 7. While at first unclear of Han Xiao’s location, Lu Gao En had discovered, after repeated investigations, that there was an area in District 7 that seemed to be cordoned off and watched closely by Division 13. It was most likely where Zero was hiding.

Upon finding out that transmissions leaving the city were being blocked, he realized that Division 13 must have gotten wind of him somehow. Hence, he decided to go offline and take his computer apart in order to prevent being traced before heading toward the city entrance to leave.

At present, Lu Gao En was blended in with a crowd of people approaching one of the city’s entrances.

‘Norsa must have completed the assassination by now.’

Suddenly, the great metal-fenced gate before him closed up.

“What happened?”

“Why are we being stopped?”

“We have orders to temporarily seal the exits,” announced a soldier, starting a commotion among the crowd.

‘Why would they close the gates‽’ Lu Gao En was shocked. ‘Did Norsa fail?’

Still, as he had been extremely careful for the past two to three years, he was not worried of being discovered.

“He’s the one!”

The sudden shout from behind caused Lu Gao En to turn around. There was a bunch of troops walking menacingly in his direction. They were obviously after him.

‘Impossible!’

Lu Gao En immediately looked around him to find an escape path, but it was too late. Not only was he surrounded by the crowd, there were simply way too many troops in the vicinity. As despair filled him, he allowed a soldier to pin him onto the ground without resistance.

As Han Xiao appeared at the scene, he sighed a breath of relief.

“We made it in time.”

“You really did!” Li Ya Lin was amazed.

“How did you guys know it was me?” asked Lu Gao En as he raised his head to look up at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao looked back at him plainly. In Galaxy, Lu Gao En was the primary contact for all Germinal-allied players in the Western Capital.

As Lu Gao En resigned to his fate, he decided to activate the poison sac stored in his tooth. He would rather die than divulge any information regarding the organization that he had dedicated his whole life to.

Suddenly, Han Xiao pulled out his handgun to fire a shot at Lu Gao En’s head, sending a trail of blood and brain matter spurting out.

_____________________

You have killed Lu Gao En (Lv.12), gaining 3,500 experience.

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Han Xiao raised his gun up to blow off the smoke from its barrel.

‘If you want to die, at least give me the experience.’

“Why did you kill him?”

Li Ya Lin was stunned by Han Xiao’s sudden action. Division 13 could obviously have extracted a lot of vital information from him.

“There’s poison stored in his teeth, his nails, and he even has some needles concealed in his clothes. We wouldn’t have been able to stop him from killing himself.”

Han Xiao shook his head.

In any case, Lu Gao En’s death was truly insignificant to him; he already possessed all the information that he needed. Nonetheless, things were getting a bit dicey.

‘Looks like I’d better speed things up,’ he thought.

In Black Raven Valley Base, the Throne of Gods guild had gathered together for a meeting in-game.

Things had not gone according to plan. As the other beta testers were all preoccupied with leveling up, their call for information had gone unanswered. Just as Jupiter was fuming over what to do, someone shouted, “Leader! The quest hint changed!”

Jupiter gave a start. Upon checking the quest tab, he discovered that the quest location had actually been updated. It now stated that Zero was inside the Western Capital.

“The mission was updated‽”

Jupiter scratched his head. However, while he was confused, he was not upset. It was the 12th and last day of the beta test, and they had barely made any progress thus far.

“We’ll send members to search the Western Capital after the official launch.”

Once the game launched, the guild would be able to make full use of its advantage in numbers. With so many members, there was no way that they would not be able to find him.

Jupiter clenched his fists.

“This B-class quest is ours for the taking!”

This was their chance to take a step ahead of their rivals.

…

In Germinal’s headquarters, a report was being read out to the boss.

“Commander Rosa was last heard from in the Western Capital. Another man also disappeared along with him: Lu Gao En, our head contact in Storm Eye. Li Ruo has said that he will find a replacement for him immediately…”

“It’s Zero,” said the boss abruptly. “He silenced Rosa and Lu Gao En in order to keep his exact location a secret. Humph, so you are in the Western Capital. Stardragon’s Division 13 must be keeping him under their protection!”

Rosa was the ace assassin of the Germinal Organization, while even Lu Gao En had given the boss a favorable impression. It was a huge loss.

That blasted Zero!

The boss was furious.

‘Zero… did you think that you would be safe as long as you found protection?’

While he had at first belittled Han Xiao, over time, he had come to recognize the threat that he posed.

According to the analysis of the security footage from the Valkyrie Laboratory, Zero had never displayed any unusual behavior. Where he had gotten hold on their intel from remained a complete mystery.

“Order Storm Eye to pinpoint Zero’s location. I don’t care if he’s hiding within Division 13’s HQ, find him no matter what it takes!”

The boss’ voice was filled with murderous intent.

As there was no way to know exactly what other vital information Zero possessed, getting rid of him before he caused further damage was the only option.

“Get five commanders and two hundred Night Owls ready to take action as soon as he is found. I will permit the use of guided missiles.

“Zero, you’re dead meat!”

…

‘The beta test is ending.’

00:00:00:30

Frenzied Sword sighed as he watched the countdown timer. If only he could have just a bit more time to train.

Of course, he was overall still quite happy with the progress that he had made. Han Xiao’s quests might have been very unseemly, but they sure did give a ton of experience. Furthermore, all the equipment that he had purchased from him helped to boost his combat power significantly.

Although the skill set of the Mechanic class revolved largely around crafting, which he disliked, seeing Han Xiao’s strength had given Frenzied Sword all the affirmation that he needed.

‘I, too, will gradually become that strong!

‘There will be a spot among the pros for me!’

…

_____________________

Beta Test Concluded. Countdown to Game’s Launch: 122 Days, 1 Hour, 23 Mins.

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Han Xiao shook his head upon discovering that the discussion board button had been grayed out.

‘Looks like I was right, the amount of time between version changes in the real-world is not synced with my current time.’

“Why are you shaking your head?” asked Gu Hui suddenly. “I wonder what other information you possess.”

Han Xiao was currently inside a conference room back at Division 13’s headquarters. There were three big shots seated in front of him: Gu Hui, the Division Director, as well as the two heads of the Intelligence Department and the Secret Ops department.

Division 13 had known all along that Han Xiao must possess some degree of combat ability, but he had completely exceeded their wildest imaginations. Yet, what was more perplexing was the degree of ease at which he had been able to single out Lu Gao En.

Lu Gao En had been operating from within the city for over two years without ever leaving a trace. Division 13 had attempted to look for him many times, but they had all ended up in failure. The fact that Han Xiao could so easily locate him served as solid proof that he knew way more than even they themselves.

And so, this meeting had begun. Simply put, Gu Hui wanted to learn more of Han Xiao’s intel.

Breaking out of his daze, Han Xiao stroked his chin as he evaded the question. “My location is now exposed. Germinal might not know exactly where I live, but they will definitely send even more killers into the city.”

Gu Hui furrowed his brows. Although unsatisfied with Han Xiao’s reply, he followed Han Xiao’s lead.

“Then what do you intend to do?”

“There’s no more need for hide-and-seek. I want to participate in the next operation.”

“It’s too dangerous!” protested a livid Gu Hui. “If you show yourself, that will only give them the chance to take action.”

Han Xiao faked a cough.

“Can we talk alone?”

The two department heads exchanged exasperated glances. ‘Do we seem that untrustworthy?’

Han Xiao glanced at his surroundings before whispering, “I can change my appearance.”

Gu Hui was visibly shocked.

“You have superpowers‽”

Han Xiao shook his head.

“I can create a gadget that allows me to alter my looks, so there’s no way that they will be able to find me.”

‘A skin mask? Not a bad idea,’ thought Gu Hui. However, Han Xiao sounded as though he meant something more advanced than a simple skin mask that Division 13 already employed.

“Even if you use a mask, it’s still too risky. You will have to take it off eventually.”

The corner of Han Xiao’s lips curled up.

“My mask is more convenient than that.”

“Alright, then show it to me before I approve.”

There were two reasons behind why Han Xiao wanted in on the action. The first was, of course, for the experience. The second was that he did not want to remain cooped up inside the Western Capital. This was the only way that he would be able to participate in more incidents.

Ever since the assassination attempt, Han Xiao had been spending a lot of time thinking about his next move.

The Black Raven Valley Base was situated near the border of Hesla, one of the Six Nations. It was a major base on a completely different scale from the three sites that Division 13 had taken action on previously. Not only were the security and defenses extremely tight, the commander of the base was a superhuman! He was known as the Sword Phantom, Pan Kuang, a Pugilist close to reaching D-level.

Near Black Raven Valley was a gathering spot for many wanderers known as Black Raven Village Town. It was a beginner starting zone.

Han Xiao planned to destroy Black Raven Valley Base as it would prevent a substantial number of new players from joining the Germinal Organization simply because of the base’s proximity. This idea had occurred to him upon discovering the Throne of God’s post, after which he had given it some proper thought and became fond of it.

It was not only an act of revenge toward the Germinal boss, but it was also a preemptive strike that would have unseen but deadly impacts.

Han Xiao grinned with glee at the prospect.

“Near Hesla’s border?” Gu Hui slammed the desk. “We will need to get in touch with them before making a decision.”

“I await your decision,” declared Han Xiao as he took his leave.

Feng Jun was waiting for him outside with a gloomy face.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the assassin immediately? Because of that, I had to endure a yelling from my superior.”

“Why would I inform you? It’s not like you could have helped,” teased Han Xiao, causing Feng Jun to become enraged.

“We might be buddies, but I’ll still get angry if you insult me!”

Han Xiao smirked.

“Perhaps I should have a talk with the director over how my location got exposed…”

“Oh you—hahahaha—you little devil. I was just kidding.”

Han Xiao rolled his eyes.

Under Feng Jun’s subservient escort, Han Xiao left the headquarters to return to the workshop.

Altering his appearance was an idea that he had thought up a long time ago. He had known all along that the Germinal would resort to drastic measures against him once his location was discovered.

As it was more likely than not that the operation would be passed, Han Xiao also needed to prepare new equipment. The mecha arm and the retractable knife would not allow him to keep up with the level of the opponents they were about to face. It would also be nice if his current team was able to participate in the operation.

Thinking about his team reminded Han Xiao of the need to upgrade Zhang Wei’s power suit.

The cost of the upgrade would not come cheap.

As Han Xiao stroked his eyebrows, he searched through his memories for blueprints suitable for this mission.

“Looks like it’s time to learn a bunch more stuff.”

Suddenly, someone knocked the door. It was Old Lu, with a chicken leg in one hand and beer in the other.

“Little brat, what are you doing here?”

“I want to borrow a few mechanic knowledge books,” replied Han Xiao as he turned his attention back to the bookshelf, expecting Old Lu to chase him out.

To his surprise, he instead said, “The key is in the drawer. Just remember to return it when you’re done.”

Han Xiao’s jaw almost dropped.

“You actually agree‽”

Since when had they been on such good terms‽

Old Man Lu put down the chicken leg in his mouth and snorted. “Treat it as a show of thanks.”

‘Thanks?’ Han Xiao frowned.

“Are you still trying to promote your granddaughter to me?”

Old Lu’s face immediately stiffened. ‘What’s so bad about my granddaughter that’s stopping you from falling for her‽’

But that wasn’t why he wanted to thank Han Xiao. Instead, it was because the tall old man had told him that back then, Han Xiao had lured the assassin away from the workshop in order to prevent Lu Qian from getting involved. This alone had changed Old Lu’s impression of Han Xiao considerably.

“Not bad, kid,” praised Old Lu with a satisfied smile. He gave Han Xiao a pat on the shoulder before leaving him to his own devices.

As he left, Han Xiao noticed an oily handprint on his shoulder.

“That old imp.”

He proceeded to unlock the cabinet with the key in the drawer, picked out seven books, and headed back to his room.

Back in his room, Han Xiao took a deep breath as he prepared to ‘learn’ all of them at once.

_____________________

Do you wish to spend one talent point to learn the Energy Talent, [Basic Energy Theory]?

… Energy Talent, [Basic Biochemistry]?

… Energy Talent, [Basic Optics]?

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“Yes!”

Large streams of information began to fill up Han Xiao’s mind, causing him to feel like his head was about to explode. After a short period of recovery, Han Xiao gritted his teeth and continued with the other books.

_____________________

… Manipulation Talent, [Basic Electromagnetism]?

… Manipulation Talent, [Basic Mechanics]?

… Manipulation Talent, [Basic Quantum Electronics]?

… Manipulation Talent, [Basic Spatial Sense]?

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Seven sets of basic knowledge!

However, the process did not stop there. Han Xiao decided to level up these new talents.

_____________________

[Basic Energy Theory] has been raised to Lv. 3!

[Basic Electromagnetism] has been raised to Lv. 2!

[Basic Digital Electronics] has been raised to Lv. 2!

[Basic Mechanics] has been raised to Lv. 2!

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As well as some previously learned talents!

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[Basic Weaponry] has been raised to Lv. 3!

[Basic Material Composition] has been raised to Lv. 3!

[Basic Assembly] has been raised to Lv. 2!

[Advanced Material Synthesis] has been raised to Lv. 2!

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Just like that, Han Xiao spent 20 of his 21 talent points.

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You have learned a new technique: [Novice Programming]

You have learned a new technique: [Energy – Magnetism Strengthening]

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[Novice Programming] was unlocked from learning [Basic Digital Electronics]. Like Basic Assembly or Basic Enhancement, it was an integral technique for a Technician, necessary for the making of both chip sets and system interfaces.

[Energy – Magnetism Strengthening], on the other hand, was a passive ability that unlocked upon learning an Energy Manipulation talent. It did have a prerequisite, which was, of course, for the player to possess affinity with magnetism. On top of strengthening the user’s control of magnetism, it also gave a boost to machinery crafting speeds and machinery damage output, 3% per level.

Han Xiao was currently sitting on 38,000 experience, accumulated from mass producing incendiary bullets. His daily experience gain was about two to three thousand. As for money, that was the least of Han Xiao’s concerns; he had earned a whopping $3,600,000 thus far.

“It’s time to try and get the disguise blueprint!”

Before he started, Han Xiao invested a few thousand experience to raise [Basic Programming] to level 3.

_____________________

Proceed with fusing of [Lv. 1 Basic Biochemistry], [Lv. 1 Optics], [Lv. 3 Material Composition], and [Lv. 2 Digital Electronics]? (20,000 experience will be consumed)

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Talent combination, also known as talent fusing, was not only limited to the fusing of two talents. However, the cost for adding additional talents was extremely high; adding a third would only cost 5,000 experience, but the cost of subsequent ones increased exponentially. A fourth one would cost 40,000 experience.

Generally, lower leveled Mechanics would perform talent fusion with only two talents because fusing more was not guaranteed to give better results.

However, some blueprints, like the one that Han Xiao was aiming for now, could be crafted easily with the correct talents.

_____________________

Fusion successful! Congratulations on inventing [Smart Optical Mask]!

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The Smart Optical Mask made its first appearance in Version 3.0, when players had just stumbled upon multiple-talent fusing. Not only did it require the leveling of four talents across all three talent trees, it also required [Intermediate Machinery Affinity], 55 Intelligence, Lv. 3 [Basic Programming], and last but not least, for the player to be a Technician.

Nevertheless, the Smart Optical Mask’s usefulness befitted the effort needed to obtain it.

Han Xiao passed a list of items to Feng Jun.

“Oh my god! BOK-recombiner, Farer IV Solvent, and 12 microchips‽ Do you know how expensive these things are?”

“I’m paying,” replied Han Xiao plainly, instantly reminding Feng Jun that they were not on the same pay scale.

One hour later, he arrived at Han Xiao’s workshop with three briefcases in hand.

The first briefcase contained three ten-centimeter-long transparent tubes that were filled with an opaque white, sticky fluid. This was the BOK-recombiner.

The second briefcase contained a small vial of pale blue solution. This was the Farer IV Solvent.

These two materials could only be made within an equipped laboratory and were extremely valuable. These two tiny vials had cost Han Xiao $120,000.

The third briefcase contained the 12 microchips. Each one was only about the size of a fingernail, and they were extremely thin. Upon closer observation, one would find that they were jam packed with circuit lines. They were commonly used for small and complex gadgets, and the set of 12 cost $60,000.

Han Xiao immediately began working on the mask.

He started by opening holes on the thin plastic mask for his eyes, nose, and mouth. Then, he carved out 12 small holes on various locations of the mask for embedding the microchips in.

Before putting the microchips in, Han Xiao uploaded the data from a scan of his own face to his computer. Using a library of over thousands of faces, he then spent two to three hours linking them up to a simple facial recognition and projection program on his computer.

When he was done, Han Xiao retrieved some laboratory apparatus and began to work at mixing the BOK-Recombiner and the Farer IV Solvent together. After some time, he managed to produce a composite material that was neither white nor blue like its constituents, but instead, the color of flesh.

This was the key material for making the Smart Meta-Optical Mask. Not only did it possess some of the useful properties of the BOK-recombiner and the Farer IV Solvent, it had, most importantly, good conductivity.

Han Xiao proceeded to embed the microchips beneath the mask before pouring the flesh-colored mixture over it. After a few more finishing touches, he left it to set within a special freezer.

A short while later, Han Xiao opened the freezer and reached in to retrieve the mask. Apart from where the microchips were located, the mask was extremely smooth. On its thin surface, Han Xiao had installed an advanced crystal display that, upon being pressed, caused a spectrum of colors to appear on the spot.

_____________________

You have crafted [Smart Meta-Optical Mask], gaining 5,000 exp!

_____________________

[Smart Meta-Optical Mask] – Face Equipment

Allows the user to change the appearance of his face when worn, concealing his identity. Charge 5 minutes for 10 hours of usage.

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This mask had cost a whopping close to $200,000 to make.

Han Xiao picked up the mask and walked over to the mirror to test it out. A cool sensation enveloped his face when he put it on, and he pressed gently onto the micro-chip on the cheek area to activate it. The appearance of his face immediately transformed, and it continued to change into a different face with each press.

This was by no means an ordinary mask of disguise! It was a godly piece of equipment that allowed the user to change his appearance at will!

The [Smart Meta-Optical Mask] would only ‘transform’ into the faces of humans, as Han Xiao had only fed the program data of human faces. Apart from randomly changing, it was also able to store up to three different faces for the user to access and could revert back to the last three faces used. It also had an additional function that allowed it to scan a target’s face and transform to it with a 70-80% accuracy.

After playing with the mask a bit more, Han Xiao removed it and headed back to headquarters to look for Gu Hui.

“You’ve created your mask?” asked Gu Hui.

Han Xiao smiled and put the mask on.

As Han Xiao did not intend to reveal the mask’s transformation capabilities just yet, he had prepared it to display the face of an ordinary-looking young man beforehand.

To Gu Hui, it simply looked like an extremely realistic mask. However, while Division 13 could already make such masks, none of them were as realistic as Han Xiao’s. Furthermore, not only did it seem to be extremely portable, it was clearly very easy to wear.

“Interested in selling the blueprints to us?”

Han Xiao faked a burst of laughter.

“It’s just a simple mask, why would I need a blueprint to make it? You guys can make them too, right?”

‘That’s true,’ thought Gu Hui to himself.

Inwardly, Han Xiao let out a breath of relief upon seeing Gu Hui give up the idea.

‘I managed to fool him!’

“Then,” continued Han Xiao, “can I join the operation?”

Gu Hui thought for a moment before nodding.

“The Hesla Intelligence Service has decided to join us for this operation. You will come along with your team.”

Han Xiao had known that Hesla would agree to taking action. It was the Germinal Organization, after all.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Han Xiao asked, “When do we depart?”

“There’s no rush. It will take some time to arrange our forces, plus, we will both have to work on a proper strategy first. It’ll most likely be half a month before deployment.”

‘Half a month,’ thought Han Xiao. ‘That will be enough time for me to finish up my equipment.’

…

Back in his workshop, Han Xiao wrote his goals down on paper.

One, to obtain even more rare blueprints.

Two, to purchase a vehicle for his team. As a logistics personnel, a vehicle equipped with all the maintenance and crafting tools he needed would be invaluable.

Three, to upgrade the [Fighter Suit].

“Ah, so much to do. One at a time, I guess.”

Han Xiao shook his head.

The most important thing was still to raise his own combat ability. There were a few ways to do this.

The first and most important way, in Han Xiao’s opinion, would be to improve his defensive capabilities. After all, survival was key.

The second was to enhance his long-ranged offensive capabilities. For this, Han Xiao planned to enhance his Berserk Eagles.

While Han Xiao did prefer fighting from a distance, close-combat ability was still important on the battlefield, so he also planned to upgrade the Mecha Arm.

As for mobility, the Swallow Gliders that had been collecting dust in his inventory were finally going to see use. As the terrain around the Black Raven Valley Base was extremely rough, they might end up proving invaluable to have.

Han Xiao also decided to prepare a little something in the event that the battle did not go their way, a little something explosive.

After giving it quick thought, Han Xiao scribbled down another list of materials for Feng Jun to help him procure. The total cost of the items on the list cost around another $300,000.

Feng Jun found himself growing more and more exasperated at Han Xiao, but fortunately for him, the higher-ups had known before that Han Xiao would be a pain to deal with, so they had given him a raise. For the sake of his $25,000 monthly wage, plus insurance, he relented to act as Han Xiao’s errand boy.

Feng Jun sighed as he looked up to the sky dramatically.

‘With great power comes great responsibility, I guess.’

Feng Jun immediately got the items delivered to Han Xiao, prompting Han Xiao to sarcastically praise him for being an exemplary worker. He joked that he would shower him with a pennant, among other rewards, causing Feng Jun to roll his eyes. After teasing him, Han Xiao returned to his workroom to begin work on his equipment.

Having leveled up both [Basic Weaponry] and [Basic Mechanical Engineering], the effectiveness of Han Xiao’s enhancement was now much higher than before. He took out the two Berserk Eagles and began to perform modifications on them, upgrading them with better materials and spare parts.

‘My days of poverty are long gone; I’m a rich man now!’

With Han Xiao’s proficiency in modifications, the process was completed in no time.

_____________________

Berserk Eagle (Enhanced)

Grade: Uncommon

Base Stats:

Damage: 74-87

Fire Rate: 1.5/s

Magazine Capacity: 8

Range: 50m

Power Output: 45

Prerequisite(s): Lv. 3 Precise Shot

Stat Bonus: +2 Dexterity

Length: 0.21m

Weight: 1.9kg

Additional Effect: Backfire – The recoil of this gun is extremely powerful, requiring 30 Strength to overcome.

Additional Effect: High Impact – When attacking, 10% chance to deal bonus 15 damage if the target is within effective range.

Additional Effect: Dual-shot – This gun has been modified with the capability to fire up to 2 bullets per shot (20% damage penalty).

Tooltip: Come on, we all know what gun this is based on. Desert— cough.

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With Han Xiao’s current skill levels, there was a 30-40% chance of upgrading a common equipment to uncommon when performing enhancement. Although Han Xiao was now the proud owner of two uncommon guns, they came with the prerequisite of Lv. 3 Precise Shot. Even though this prerequisite did not prevent Han Xiao from wielding them, it would cause their effectiveness to be greatly diminished.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Han Xiao inputted some experience to raise Precise Shot to Lv. 3, which gave him an additional 3% Accuracy and 4% Critical Chance.

_____________________

As you have achieved Lv. 8 in Basic Shooting and Lv. 3 in Precise Shot, you may learn one of the following three advanced skills:

Sniping

Gunfighting

Suppression

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For the first time, Han Xiao found himself in a dilemma over which skill to pick.

Although shooting skills were essential to Cannon Masters, they were also important for Technicians. The three abilities displayed before Han Xiao clearly represented different styles of combat.

As the Berserk Eagle was made for close-combat, Gunfighting would make for a logical choice. However, Han Xiao also needed to think further ahead.

At end game, Technicians were strongest at long-ranged combat, so they rarely had use for risky, close-combat skills. Suppression would aid in sieging or holding forts, but it would only be effective with a partner to provide tactical support. In contrast to these two skills, Sniping was far better suited for solo action.

Han Xiao scratched his head as he thought about it.

‘I’ll have to work alone sooner or later anyway, plus it’s better for me to keep myself far from danger, unlike a player who doesn’t have to worry about his life. For me, sniping is the best option!’

In Han Xiao’s previous life, the dazzling and breathtaking style of Gunfighting was a popular choice among players, and even professional Cannon Masters would learn it just for the cool factor.

However, as a pragmatist, Han Xiao could hardly give two hoots.

‘Who cares about looking good during combat! It’s not like I’m doing this to see the stream chat praise me.’

At this thought, the Great Technician Han finally made his decision.

_____________________

You have learned an advanced skill:

Sniping (Lv. 1)

+4% Fatal Shot

+5% Shooting Range

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Han Xiao nodded in satisfaction. Done!

Next, Han Xiao crafted the Swallow Gliders, earning 1,500 experience in the process. He also modified them to give them the ‘retractability’ of the Retractable Knife. Indeed, the good thing about being able to actually learn knowledge in this life was that Han Xiao could implement concepts and technology from his blueprints into other inventions.

With the added retractability, they could now be worn on the back like a parachute before deployment. Once activated, the two 1.2m long ‘wings’ would extend out to allow the user to freely glide in the air.

After the gliders, Han Xiao proceeded to work on his close combat gear. The Mecha Arm actually formed a set with the Mecha Leg, and their blueprints were obtainable through the same combination of talents. They were also necessary parts for creating an Exoframe. However, that would require advanced knowledge, and Han Xiao did not even have the necessary skills to craft a proper Mecha Leg yet. At best, he would be able to craft one that could travel long distances, but it would lack the mechanisms that allowed for nimble movements.

Han Xiao planned to upgrade the Mecha Arm by making it lighter and smaller. While making it smaller would cause it to lose some power, Han Xiao had something in mind to compensate for it.

_____________________

Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?

(Lv. 3 Basic Weaponry + Lv. 2 Basic Assembly + Lv. 2 Basic Mechanics)

This fusion will cost you 15,000 experience.

_____________________

Fusion Success!

Congratulations, you have discovered [Air Motor]!

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“Wow, first try!”

Han Xiao rejoiced. This particular combination of talent could yield quite a number of different blueprints, and he had not expected to obtain it using so little experience.

The Air Motor converted compressed air into vibrational kinetic energy that, when harnessed as a weapon, could essentially bypass the armor of normal armor to cause direct damage.

Han Xiao spent a good half a day working on the Mecha Arm. He refitted it to slim it down but also lengthened it to cover the entire arm. He also reinforced its casing with platinum to cover up its internal mechanics, giving it a huge durability boost.

When he was done, the Mecha Arm looked vastly different from its crude form from before – it was now a shiny, silver metallic arm.

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Lightweight Mecha Arm (Left) – Motor-enhanced

Grade: Average (White)

Base Stats:

– Damage: 30-48

– Defense: 10-13

– Power Level: 33

– Durability: 470/470

Prerequisite(s): 24 Strength

Bonus Stats: -2 Attack Speed

Length: 0.87m

Weight: 5.2kg

Additional Bonus: +7 Strength

Additional Effect: Vibration – Every 15 seconds, your attacks inflict an additional 23-45 direct damage onto the target. (Ignores Defense)

Additional Effect: Increased Durability

Tooltip: Realistic looking.

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Although it was only an average ranked piece of equipment, Han Xiao’s modifications had given it three useful additional effects.

So far, all the upgrades that Han Xiao had given his gear were nothing too fancy, but now, he was about to craft something special, something specialized for a Technician!

Han Xiao took a deep breath.

“Amitabha… God, please let me get that blueprint in one try. This fusion is just too expensive…”

_____________________

Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?

(Lv. 2 Advanced Material Composition + Lv. 2 Basic Magnetism + Lv. 2 Basic Assembly)

This fusion will cost you 70,000 experience.

The amount of experience required for fusing higher-leveled talents did not simply increase linearly.

An advanced talent or knowledge cost 50,000 more experience to fuse than a basic one. Moreover, fusing a basic talent with an advanced talent also caused the base cost of the basic talent itself to increase, rising from 5,000 to 10,000. If even higher leveled talents were to be used, the fusion costs would skyrocket further.

“Confirm!”

Han Xiao stared at the fusion window with bated breath.

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Fusion success!

Congratulations, you have discovered [Magnetism Armor]!

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Han Xiao jumped up with joy.

This was the blueprint that he had been aiming to get, and it was actually something that a player at Han Xiao’s current level should not be able to possess. Indeed, it was a high-level piece of armor! This would help to guarantee his safety!

Of the $300,000 that Han Xiao had spent on upgrade materials, $250,000 alone went into the making this armor.

As it was an advanced blueprint, it was much more complex to craft than a basic one, so even Han Xiao, who possessed the required knowledge to craft it, needed to spend an entire hour just to fully understand the blueprint’s contents. After learning it, Han Xiao lifted his head to reveal a bitter smile; by his estimations, it would take at least three days of non-stop work to craft it.

He quickly got started.

…

Three days later, the doors to Han Xiao’s workroom opened. Out came a tired Han Xiao with listless eyes and dark bags under his eyes. He looked as though he were in a daze, as if he didn’t even know who, or even where, he was. In fact, looking at him, one might wonder if he had just woken up from a beating.

Han Xiao received a call as soon as he turned on his phone. It was Li Ya Lin, and she did not sound pleased at all.

“Han Xiao, why were you unreachable for the past few days? You have dozens of overdue orders! You’d better not take the cash and run away when I’m putting my own reputation on the line for your business! Also, don’t forget that you promised to make a set of specially tailored equipment! Oh, right, we’ve been given a mission! We have to leave for Hesla in ten days. Leader is furious that you didn’t show up for the meeting yesterday, so you’d better keep that in mind…”

Han Xiao could barely open his eyes. Ignoring her as she rambled on, he climbed into his bed and curled up under his blanket to fall asleep instantly.

“Hey, hey, hey— why are you not saying anything? Urgh, don’t think I’ve forgotten how you took advantage of me the other day…”

…

‘What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?

‘Open your eyes?’

When Han Xiao finally woke up, the first thing he did was to make his way to the toilet in his dreamlike stupor. After washing his hands, he stretched, yawned, and proceeded to brush his teeth.

Afterwards, with eyes still half-closed, Han Xiao went over to the kitchen in the main workshop where he pushed Lu Qian off her seat at the dining table with his butt and helped himself to the remainder of her breakfast, all the while ignoring her feeble protests.

When he was done, he simply cast her an unapologetic glance before strolling out as though nothing had happened.

“Ah, such carefreeness reminds me of when I was young,” reminisced Old Lu aloud as he stroked his head.

“Ahhhhh! I want to change the keys…”

“Perhaps this is love,” remarked Old Lu with a profound look on his face.

“It is not!” Lu Qian yelled out in exasperation.

…

Back in his workroom, Han Xiao opened up a small box. Inside were the fruits of his labor, what appeared to be numerous thin scales of metal. They looked black, but on closer observation, they were actually an extremely deep shade of blue. Although they resembled nothing like ‘armor’, these tiny pieces of metal were, without a doubt, the Magnetic Armor—well, unassembled, and still quite incomplete, to be exact.

Han Xiao took a deep breath before placing his hand an inch above the case. He then began to summon the energy of magnetism within his body toward his arm.

What happened next was quite a sight to behold.

The metal scales began vibrating in response to Han Xiao’s magnetism, and in the next second, they actually started flying toward his palm as though they were being sucked in! Upon coming into contact with Han Xiao’s skin, they seemed to come alive and began dancing up and around his arm energetically, as though they were live fish.

“Form,” commanded Han Xiao, and the metallic scales instantly spread along his arm to form a thin, scale-patterned sleeve of armor. It was perfectly smooth and uniform.

The armor appeared to be skin-tight, but as it was controlled by magnetism, there was actually a gap of a few millimeters, allowing its user complete freedom of movement.

Han Xiao drew his Platinum Retractable Knife out and viciously slashed upon the sleeve. It produced a crisp ring, but there were no sparks, and the armor was completely undamaged.

“Good defense!” exclaimed a jubilant Han Xiao.

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Magnetism Armor (Incomplete)

Type: Armor (Bulletproof)

Grade: Uncommon (Green)

Base Stats:

– Defense: 75

– Durability: 1600/1600

Requirement(s): Magnetism-affinity Energy, Intermediate Machinery Affinity

Ability: Can be controlled by magnetism to move across the user’s body and transform into armor. Costs 10 energy/min to maintain shape.

Additional Effect: High Resistance – This armor is capable of withstanding high temperatures and is not easily penetrated or damaged.

Additional Effect: Magnetic Repulsion – Damage inflicted on the user is partially negated (reduces damage by 20-30 points).

Additional Effect: Unique Magnetic Field – When worn, envelopes the user in a magnetic field that attracts electricity.

Tooltip: A friendly reminder – don’t use this on a rainy day.

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In Galaxy, equipment that required energy to use was known as Superhuman Equipment.

The material used to make the metallic scales of the Magnetism Armor was an exceedingly rare, naturally-occurring metal. Not even Division 13 possessed much of it in their inventory, and $250,000 was only enough for Han Xiao to make a partial version that could at best cover his entire back.

Nevertheless, although the theory behind the Magnetic Armor was simple, crafting it was an entirely different matter. Even if Han Xiao did possess enough resources, he would still not be able to craft the complete version, not with his current level of expertise in both knowledge and skill.

In spite of that, crafting the incomplete version earned Han Xiao 40,000 experience, even more than when he had crafted Rover 1.

Han Xiao proceeded to test his control over the armor.

While such high-level Superhuman Equipment would usually take a low-level player quite some time to get used to, Han Xiao, with his years of experience, was able to quickly get the hang of it.

With this armor, Han Xiao now felt much safer than before.

It was both inconspicuous and highly portable, and Han Xiao thought of it as a trump card. He planned to keep the armor a secret from everyone, including his allies. After all, who could say for sure that today’s friend wouldn’t become tomorrow’s enemy?

Now that he had addressed the issues of mobility, defense, as well as both melee and ranged combat, all that was left for Han Xiao to do was to prepare some art.

As Han Xiao was already quite satisfied with the bombs provided by Division 13, he only planned to make some simple modifications, nothing too fancy.

Sixty black, glossy, round-shaped objects lay neatly within the two cases before Han Xiao. These were the ‘Highly Explosive Delay-action Shrapnel Bombs’, known as time bombs for short, that he had purchased from Division 13, and their unnecessarily long name, if anything, was telling of their destructive capabilities.

“Each bomb costs $800, so sixty of them amount to $48,000. Hmm, yep… this calculation should be right.”

Although the bombs were ready-to-use, Han Xiao decided to perform some modifications on them. With [Basic Mechanical Engineering], he made them flight-capable by installing mini-propellers on them, along with power supplies. This greatly improved their range of attack.

The only downside to this modification was that it made them look… rather comical. They now almost seemed like the kind of gadget that a certain likable, blue, robotic cat (A Doraemon reference) would pull out from his pouch.

With the additions of the enhanced Facial Simulator, Desert Eagle, Lightweight Mechanical Arm, Foldable Machete, Sky Swallow Gliders, Magnetically-controlled Armor, and last but not least, these flight-capable bombs to his arsenal, Han Xiao had finally finished with all his upgrades. Although Division 13 would definitely still provide them with more equipment, at Han Xiao’s current level, his gear could be said to be semi-godly already. He was currently—without a doubt—the strongest person in his level range.

“This equipment will suffice.”

Han Xiao crossed out ‘Personal Upgrades’ on his to-do list. The next line read ‘Transport Vehicles’.

Creating an entire vehicle from scratch would take too much time, so it was better for Han Xiao to directly purchase one from Division 13 and then perform modifications on it.

Quality-wise, Division 13 would definitely not disappoint. After spending some time looking at the available options, Han Xiao decided that a detachable cargo truck would best suit their needs. It would act as a mobile warehouse and a workshop—a logistics vehicle for the team.

Han Xiao could buy the truck with either money or exchange reputation points for it, which was essentially requesting that Division 13 give him the truck.

Currently, he had a whopping $2.8m to spare. Already, the money-spending ability of the Mechanic class was starting to shine through. Of course, none of this would have been possible without Han Xiao’s prior experience that helped him in accumulating money.

Without happily spending all their money and getting used to living paycheck to paycheck, one could never become an excellent Mechanic.

Nonetheless, he decided to pay with reputation points; that’s what they were meant for, after all. In comparison, paying with money would set him back an unnecessary $800,000. Han Xiao rang Feng Jun up.

…

“Give me the vehicle. How long will it take for you to deliver it to my place?”

“I will need to pick it up from the military factory. About two hours.”

Feng Jun’s punctuality was proven time and again; exactly two hours later, Feng Jun arrived at Han Xiao’s doorstep in the very truck.

A problem immediately presented itself: the truck was too big to enter the garage.

Han Xiao and Feng Jun stared at each other, dumbfounded. They had carefully accounted for every single detail except for this issue.

“What now?”

“How about you guys expand the garage for me?”

“Come on, do you think that Engineering Department staff have that much free time to spare?”

As Han Xiao rubbed his chin, his eyes suddenly lit up.

“Didn’t you bring in an undercover squad to watch over this district? Where are they now?”

“Be more rational jackass! Don’t you think we are grabbing too much attention!”

Han Xiao looked away from Feng Jun and began to size up the military truck. It was 4 meters tall, 3.5 meters wide, and attached with an 11 meters long container that extended beyond the width of the front of the truck itself.

“What attention-grabbing? I don’t think so.” Han Xiao was not at all flustered when bullshitting.

“Only the blind would not see such a huge truck!” Feng Jun basically spouted saliva all over Han Xiao’s face.

“What is with the saliva-spitting when you speak?” Han Xiao grabbed Feng Jun’s sleeve, wiped his face, and said with a look of disdain, “Not that I am criticizing you, but the volume of saliva that came out of your mouth is huge.”

Old Man Lu walked out at this moment and exclaimed, “What a huge truck.”

“Why don’t we just demolish the whole garage?” Han Xiao’s eyes glittered.

“Get lost,” Old Man Lu scolded sulkily. He then rubbed the bald area on his head and pondered for a moment before he dug out a key from his pocket and threw it to Han Xiao.

“I have a garage a few blocks away. I will lend it to you.”

Han Xiao was utterly shocked. “So generous! Old Man Lu, are you on wrong medicine today?”

“Get lost!” Old Man Lu was swearing again. He then pushed them away as they were blocking his way, and he walked out for a leisurely stroll.

…

Han Xiao drove the truck and arrived at the garage ten minutes later.

“Bleurgh—”

“Hello. Do you really have to do that?’

Feng Jun’s face was as pale as a sheet as he leaned out the car window. He waved his hands hysterically while he continued vomiting.

Han Xiao could not understand what Feng Jun was trying to convey. Does he mean that he will not sit in my car every again, or is he saying that I don’t have to care how he feels?

Han Xiao shook his head and threw the unimportant question to the back of his head. After he sent the nauseated Feng Jun away, he began modifying the heavy military truck.

He checked every inch of the truck and found no hidden cameras or bugs.

Products made by the military factory were of excellent quality. The truck was equipped with numerous parts, including ten cylinders and turbochargers, which enhanced its horsepower. It could move at a top-speed of 135km/hr. The truck had five heavy-duty, slip-free tires on each side. The cargo compartment was large, and it could contain quite a few pieces of equipment. Han Xiao wanted to modify it into a small workshop, so he needed to move the workshop equipment up.

The base plate of the truck was modified for multi-terrain use, with parts like spring suspension and air damping suspension, which allowed the truck to move smoothly on bad terrain. The truck was also equipped with an anti-sliding gadget, which would prevent small vehicles from sliding under the truck. The movie scenes of protagonists driving sportscar under the villain’s car to fight would never happen with this truck. Hold on… why am I naturally picturing myself as the villain?

The driving cabin was not at all small—it could easily fit six people. It was equipped with a ten-gear gearshift, so there was a suitable gear for any type of movement.

Han Xiao checked the air bags. There were eight of them. As long as the passenger did not fly out of the vehicle upon collision, they would definitely not be injured. Plus, this passenger could enjoy the pleasure of being squashed in between a big ‘chest’.

Speaking of car collisions, the front of the truck was not strengthened with a front bumper. Han Xiao needed to add it himself. He then looked at the truck windows—they were bullet-proof. Division 13 did not cut corners.

Overall, the truck was up to standard; it did not need any major modification. Han Xiao decided to add a few nitro-boost cylinders to the truck for additional thrust. The thought of having a nitro boost for the truck already excited Han Xiao greatly. His truck could be the ultimate king of the road.

Han Xiao started modifying the truck.

The inside of the cargo compartment was made into a small-scale workshop. Han Xiao also strengthened the base plate and the front bumper—the thick and heavy armor looked rather sturdy. Four nitro-boost cylinders were installed in the truck for additional thrust during crucial moments. Furthermore, Han Xiao bought spare tires, and he installed a radar with an antenna for receiving radio signals and sending wi-fi signals.

With these numerous upgrades, Han Xiao spent more than 10,000 dollars. He could not help but shake his head. Upgrades sure were costly.

Gazing upon the black truck before him, he rubbed his chin as the idea of giving it a name suddenly occurred to him.

Han Xiao decided to go with the simplest and most obvious one.

“Big Black!”

Hmm, not a bad name at all.

“Oh my god, Xiao Han, you bought a heavy truck‽”

The four teammates were invited to the garage, and Li Ya Lin and Lin Ya’s faces were soon filled with surprise and excitement. They climbed all over the heavy truck. As Lambert was particularly interested in the engine, he opened the car hood to admire it.

“Thank you,” said Zhang Wei solemnly to Xiao Han.

A logistical vehicle was a very luxurious item for a team like them. Zhang Wei felt embarrassed that Xiao Han had bought it with his own money.

Xiao Han laughed it off. “Hehe. Just treat it as my way of helping impoverished teammates.”

Zhang Wei’s mouth started twitching as he was lost for words. Although Xiao Han was saying the truth, it was still agitating for Zhang Wei.

“I wracked my brain to come up with a name for this truck.”

Zhang Wei listened expectantly.

Xiao Han cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, “Big Black.”

Zhang Wei’s body jerked upon hearing the ridiculous name. He gave an unwilling half-smile. “Nice… what a nice name.”

“Oh. You think so too? This name is very catchy and concise. I am quite proud of myself for coming up with this name,” Xiao Han said in a satisfied tone.

“I’m glad you are happy with the name.”

“Wow. The driving space is huge.” Li Ya Lin was having a lot of fun when she suddenly thought of something. “who is going to drive the car?”

“This is my truck. Obviously, I will be driving it,” Xiao Han said.

Immediately, Li Ya Lin’s face paled, and her body started trembling. “Can… can I not travel in the car?”

Zhang Wei frowned and reprimanded her. “Xiao Han spent so much money to let us enjoy some comfort and convenience. How can you reject this?”

Li Ya Lin’s face was now as pale as a sheet. She felt that nothing was more horrifying than this.

“You guys will regret this,” she mumbled.

Regret? Zhang Wei was puzzled. Is Xiao Han a terrible driver?

Then it’s nothing serious. How bad can his driving be? Everyone here is a well-trained agent in excellent physical condition. Nobody gets dizzy on roller-coasters. There’s nothing to fear about this, Zhang Wei thought to himself.

“Oh yeah. Our boss told us that we will be moving out in four days,” Lin Yao said suddenly.

Xiao Han’s eyes lit up. He had spent about ten days giving the truck an overhaul. He still wanted to install heavy firepower on truck. He had already mastered the knowledge required, but there was simply not enough time. He thought for a while and said to Zhang Wei, “Bring the Combatant Armored Suit to me. I will help you improve it.”

Zhang Wei’s eyes lit up. He had confidence in Xiao Han’s mechanic skills.

Li Ya Lin overheard their conversation. She jumped at Xiao Han and nudged his shoulder. “What about me! What about me! You promised to customize some equipment for me!”

“You have to wait till I have some inspiration.”

As a Pugilist, you should focus on using your fists to punch people. Why are you always eyeing my mechanic equipment? Xiao Han pushed the noisy Lin Ya Lin aside.

The original Combatant Armored Suit was brought out right away by a staff member from the logistics department. Just like the armor exhibited in museums, it was propped up with a plastic skeleton and stored in a human-height metal box.

“Since time is running out, I will have to focus on the most essential modification. Firstly, I will increase the energy capacity. Then, work on the structure will begin to reduce the weight and upgrade the skeleton of the mechanical parts. This will help to improve your overall movement.”

“That will be great!” Zhang Wei’s face brightened with happiness. The suit was extremely heavy for him. After every use, his whole body would ache badly, worse than after running ten kilometers.

“Next, I will modify the sensing system. I will fit a simple chip onto the suit to survey the situation outside, and I will personally donate a firepower control system, which will give your long-range weapons an auto-aiming ability.

“Lastly, if time permits, I will also add a simple close-combat weapon.”

“Sounds great!” Zhang Wei was exhilarated.

But suddenly, Xiao Han changed his tone. “And, of course, all of these things are chargeable. The total cost will be $360,000.”

“How… how much‽”

Zhang Wei stared him, his mouth agape in disbelief. His total saving had not even reached a million dollars.

“Do you think this is too pricey?” Xiao Han narrowed his eyes at Zhang Wei.

“Are your parents still alive?”

“Why are you asking about them? They have already passed on.” Zhang Wei was startled by the strange question.

“Do you have any siblings?”

“No. I’m their only child.”

“Do you have a wife or a girlfriend?”

“N…No. I’m all alone.”

Xiao Han shook his head with a perplexed expression. “Then what’s the point in saving so much money?”

The comment shot right to his heart!

“Fine. Fine… Stop talking. I will pay!” Zhang Wei gripped his chest in pain. He felt like his heart was being stomped on by a thousand rhinos.

…

Like an unscrupulous business man, Xiao Han received the payment from Zhang Wei’s trembling hand before he commenced the modification of the suit.

[Basic Energy Theory] Lv. 3 had given Xiao Han the ability to strengthen energy mechanics. However, he didn’t want to give Zhang Wei’s suit a mighty modification, so there was no need for a new energy blueprint. Good stuff had to be kept for personal use.

To build in a weight-bearing mechanical skeleton and a sensing chip, one could actually use blueprints. These two were rather common.

_____________________

Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?

(Lv. 1 Basic Spatial Sensing + Lv. 1 Basic Virtual Electrical Engineering)

This fusion will cost you 10,000 EXP.

_____________________

Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?

(Lv. 2 Basic Dynamics Principle + Lv. 4 Basic Mechanical Engineering)

This fusion will cost you 10,000 EXP.

_____________________

Fusion Success!

Congratulations, you have discovered [Low Level Smart Chip]!

_____________________

Fusion Success!

Congratulations, you have discovered [K600-type Mechanical Skeletal System]!

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These two were common mechanical blueprints, so most Mechanics would have them. Xiao Han achieved fusion success on his first try without any hiccups.

[Low Level Smart Chip] was also sold on the market. However, by unlocking the blueprint, Xiao Han could tweak it by writing his own code. The words ‘low level’ indicated that there would be more advance versions of it, such as highly intelligent Al for large robots or even intelligent system control for huge space vehicles and war machines.

On the other hand, [K600-type Mechanical Skeletal System] was one of the basic models of inner mechanical skeletal systems.

The outer mechanical skeletal systems were worn directly on the body, while the inner type fitted the whole body seamlessly, hidden inside of the external armor. It retained the same functions as the external skeletal system but provided extra mechanical power. The inner skeletal system was a must for making a Mechanical Armored Suit. Needless to say, the more advanced versions were applied to small, medium, large, and extremely large armored suits.

Xiao Han removed the exterior of the combat suit, exposing the intricate parts in the interior. Xiao Han observed for a moment before he began his work.

First, he increased the energy capacity, then he added in the skeletal system and the smart chip, and lastly, he purchased some imaging devices, cameras, and infrared sensor for the sensing equipment.

On dawn of the fourth day, he finally finished upgrading the Combatant Armored Suit.

Despite the same old, black, and heavy primitive suit exterior, the inside of the suit had been changed tremendously. It finally resembled a powerful and advance mechanical armored suit.

But time constraints did not allow Xiao Han to add a close-combat weapon. Xiao Han was not bothered by it. Not delivering the promised product after payment was not new to him; he had already delayed the delivery of a High-Explosive Gunpowder for more than half a month.

Xiao Han yawned and looked at his interface.

[Combatant Armored Suit: Deriving progress 2%]

Retro-derivation of equipment was one of the methods for Mechanics to obtain blueprints. The requirements were very stringent because the progress would usually halt when they could not fulfil the pre-set conditions. Sometimes, just as the progress reached 30%, it would sometimes ask for Intelligence to reach XX before it could continue the derivation. Furthermore, even when the progress reached 100%, a huge amount of EXP would have to be consumed in order to officially master the blueprint.

The core of the [Combatant Armored Suit] was part of the Advanced Mechanic Knowledge [Heavy Machine Modification]. When the progress bar reached 50%, it looked like this knowledge would be required. Since the blueprint for the suit was not essential for Xiao Han, he was not bothered with that.

It was move-out day. The team of four gathered in the garage. Lin Yao looked at the computer screen and said suddenly, “The department has gathered. The gathering point is the East Sentry Post.”

“Okay. Let’s board the truck!” Zhang Wei said solemnly.

As soon as he gave the instruction, Li Ya Lin moved rapidly onto the driver’s seat and stared at Xiao Han anxiously. “Can… Can I drive the truck?”

Xiao Han rubbed his eyes. He had been burning the mid-night oil for the past few days, so he was sleepy beyond measure. Thus, he did not insist on driving. He told her to drive steadily before moving to the back of the truck. He used a few backpacks as blanket and lay on the floor to sleep.

Li Ya Lin sighed in relief at once. She felt as if she had just escaped death narrowly. She didn’t even have the energy to point out the irony in Xiao Han’s words “drive steadily.”

Upon seeing that Xiao Han wanted a good sleep, the rest all sat in the driving space to avoid disturbing him.

…

West Capital, East Sentry Post, Military Train Station.

The superiors highly valued this attack on the base at Dark Crow Valley. Division 13 sent three covert ops teams to take part in this large-scale mission.

The first was Zhang Wei’s team, and the other was Ma Qing Yang’s team, the one that saved Zhang Wei’s team.

The last team was Covert Ops’ ace team, led by the team leader, Di Su Su.

The two ops teams were waiting at the train station, accompanied by an officer from the Staff Department. His role was to give advice and supervise the operations in order to keep the agents in check.

There were instances in the past where every team had a strong-opinionated elite agent, resulting in many differing opinions that led to poor teamwork and caused many hiccups to their missions. To counter this problem, Division 13 had modified their mission procedure: when there were multiple teams working together, a staff officer would be the overall brain of the mission.

Officers from the Staff department learned how to command on various battle situations all year round. Before the mission, they would study each and every agent from the respective teams to better evaluate mission plans. Although the agents all believed that the staff officers only knew how to write mission report and take responsibility, they had to obey orders from the superior. As long as the staff officer didn’t control them too much, everyone would be at peace with him.

“Why is Zhang Wei still not here? He’s very late.”

Ma Qing Yang looked at the Sun and took a puff on his cigarette. He was quite good friends with Zhang Wei, and their teammates had friendly relationships, too.

Di Su Su and her team waited on the other side. She was playing with a coin in her hand. The coin, reflecting beams of sunlight, was turning and moving rapidly under her agile hand. She was eager and excited to meet Li Ya Lin because it meant that she would get to bully and tease her again. Plus, she was quite intrigued by her new teammate, Xiao Han.

The leading staff officer, Qi Bai Jia, rubbed his good-looking brows. His eyes were irritated by the flickering reflections of sunlight from the coin. He had no choice but to turn his face toward the other side.

A loud engine sound travelled from afar. Everyone could hear the huge horsepower of the incoming vehicle. They felt the floor shaking as the vehicle got closer. Qi Bai Jia looked up at the source of the sound and saw a gigantic and ferocious military truck approaching.

Ma Qing Yang flicked his cigarette butt off and crushed it with his heel.

Di Su Su clenched her fingers tight, gripping the coin in her palm.

Qi Bai Jia adjusted his collar.

“They are here.”

Big Black slowly came to halt. Zhang Wei and his team alighted from the front of the vehicle.

Qi Bai Jia saluted and introduced himself. “I am Qi Bai Jia, the staff officer who will be leading this mission.”

“Greetings. Happy to be working with you.” Zhang Wei nodded. Then he turned his head and smiled at Ma Qing Yang heartily while giving Ma Qing Yang a big hug.

On the other side, Lin Yao’s eyes glittered upon seeing Di Su Su, his gaze tightly locked onto her. He waved his arm shyly. “Hello, Su Su Jie.”

“Little Lin Lin.” Di Su Su just ignored Lin Yao and walked past him toward Li Ya Lin while he was still mesmerized by her. She pinched Li Ya Lin’s cheeks. “Tsk tsk. You have grown prettier since the last time I saw you.”

“Screw off. We are not that close.” Li Ya Lin frowned and shoved Di Su Su’s annoying hand away.

Di Su Su was not bothered by it. She scanned around and asked curiously, “Where is your Mechanic? Where is he hiding?”

Li Ya Lin crossed her arms in front of her chest. She gave a cold look and refused to answer.

Zhang Wei answered, “He’s a little tired, so he is still sleeping on the truck.”

“This truck is….?”

Zhang Wei stood upright and said with a face full of pride, “Our logistical support vehicle.”

Jealousy filled Ma Qing Yang and Di Su Su’s teams. They gave their team leaders a bitter look.

“We want our own logistical support vehicle, too.”

Qi Bai Jia clapped his hand. “Okay. Time is running out. Let’s move out.”

A military-use train was parked at the station. Instead of transporting the items using airplanes or regular cars, forty well-trained field personnel are loading boxes of firearms and ammunition onto the train.

Since the major expressways were destroyed, the Six Nations had focused on the development of railway to connect various destinations. Military-use trains ran designated military railways, which made them faster than civilian trains. Three days was all that was required for the train to reach its destination.

The first five carriages comprised of the driving cabin, two bedrooms, the restaurant, and firearm storage respectively. The last few carriages were open air – specially made for carrying other vehicles. Li Ya Lin drove Big Black up onto the carriage. The field personnel locked it in place tightly and covered the truck with a dust-sheet.

Once everyone had boarded the train, it moved off. The train radiated under the fierce sunlight and drove into the dangerous and treacherous forested fields.

….

Han Xiao woke up soon after he felt the vibration of the train.

The ceiling of the carriage was installed with lamps that illuminated the room under a soft white light. The carriage was filled with lifeless, ice-cold machines and mechanical weapons, but they actually gave him a sense of security.

Han Xiao rubbed his eyes forcefully before he got his full concentration back. He opened the carriage door only to realize that he was on a high-speed train that was already on the move. The wild wind gushed toward his face, blowing his messy hair all around. The floor was vibrating non-stop and the riotous sound of the train movement rushed into his ears. The train moved smoothly along the rail toward their destination.

A galaxy of stars illuminated the dark sky.

Mountains could be seen on the distant horizon.

Have I slept for the entire day?

For a while, Han Xiao was slightly startled. He then put on his Facial Simulator and adjusted his face to that of a regular man from his memory. After which, he placed a mask over the Facial Simulator. He had always been this careful. Afterwards, he followed the trail of light and entered the carriage from the front.

The sound from the wind disappeared the moment he entered the carriage; noisy chatter filled his ears instead. He felt as if he had just transmigrated from the stone age to a modern civilization.

As soon as Han Xiao walked in, everyone stopped talking. Every pair of eyes was fixated on Han Xiao. They scanned him with curiosity.

Di Su Su was the first person to stand up. She moved her beautiful waist and moved seductively toward Han Xiao.

“So, you are Han Xiao?” she asked curiously.

“I think you’ve got the wrong person,” Han Xiao replied nonchalantly. Han Xiao knew that he would lose a lot of face if he answered all the questions directed at him truthfully.

Everyone’s face stiffened. What a blatant lie! Everyone was here in the cabin. Who else could he be‽

Li Ya Lin was instantly delighted as she saw the scheming Di Su Su getting rejected. She waved at Han Xiao. “Xiao Ge, come here and sit.”

Han Xiao nodded and moved beside Zhang Wei and the others. Li Ya Lin whispered to Han Xiao, “Great job! You just embarrassed that scheming Di Su Su.”

“Scheming?” Han Xiao was surprised by her description.

“That’s right. Di Su Su is a scheming, cunning, and sly snake!” Li Ya Lin said with a mouth full of detest.

Han Xiao squinted. “Are you describing yourself?”

Lin Yao could not agree more. However, he dared not add anything for fear being beaten up by Li Ya Lin. He secretly looked at Han Xiao with respect. That’s my Xiao Ge—full of balls—a courageous man who never filters his words.

When Di Su Su saw Li Ya Lin and Han Xiao’s intimate gestures, her face turned black. Traces of angered flashed in her eyes.

On the other side, Ma Qing Yang extended his hand and smiled. “Hey, brother. Nice to meet you. I’m Ma Qing Yang.”

Han Xiao shook his hand as he held back the enraged Lin Ya Lin, unflustered. “Technically, we never met.”

Ma Qing Yang was dumbfounded. He surveyed around Han Xiao’s mask, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “Oh. You are right.”

Qi Bai Jia clapped his hand. “Since everyone is here, I will now explain the details of this mission. Field personnel please take your leave.”

Field personnel knew that this was the rule, so they left this carriage without hesitation. The place immediately quieted, as only the three covert ops teams and Qi Bai Jia were left inside.

“This is a joint mission between Hesla’s Intelligence Department and us. Hesla’s troops are stationed at the border, and they could move out at any moment. Our job here is to infiltrate the enemy base to gather information about their defenses so that we can provide the troops with intelligence support.

“Hesla has sent us a map of the Dark Crow Valley. This place is easy to hold but hard to attack, and with deep forests, we will not be able to locate the coordinates of the base with our satellites. We have zero information about their troop number and location. We can only attack from land.”

Everyone was very serious when it came to their mission. Di Su Su scratched her forehead and frowned. “This sounds like a heavily-guarded best. Is it possible for Hesla’s troops to storm the base on the ground?”

“They refused.” Qi Bai Jia shook his head.

Everyone understood the reason; as long as Hesla could take down the enemy with two thirds of their effort, they would never deploy their full strength. Furthermore, when there was too little information about enemy’s power and location, Hesla would not allow its troops to go in prematurely for fear of suffering too many casualties. The Covert Ops department would be brought in to do the dirty work like such an infiltration.

Li Ya Lin grumbled, “Then where is the infiltrating point?”

Qi Bai Jia pointed at a spot on the map. “On the west side of the valley, there is a large town called Crow’s Forest. The fact that they have the courage to build a town near a base of the Germinal Organization suggests that the two parties are colluding. Therefore, there must be a few scouts from the valley base stationed in the town. This is our opportunity to obtain crucial intelligence.

“And according to intelligence from the higher ups, there are three noteworthy enemies from the Dark Crow Valley base.”

Qi Bai Jia gave out a folder of information sheets to everyone. As everyone was reading through the sheets, he summarized the gist of the information. “Pan Kuang—head of the base, 35 years-old, Asian, E+ Pugilist—is one of the Germinal Organization’s executive officers. His weapon is a blade, nicknamed Blade-soul. His last recorded feat was three years ago, when he defeated twelve Theseus agents at the border alone. Four of them were superhumans.”

The page showed an emotionless man. He looked like any ordinary man but gave off an extremely fierce vibe.

“Ji Jie, deputy head, male, 29 years-old, mixed Asian and Caucasian, limited information. We only know that he seems to be a relative of the leader of the Wind Eye Organization, Ji Nuo.

“Dormund, captain of the security force, 43, from Raylen. He specializes in different firearms, and he is an extremely elite special agent. He used to lead a whole Night Owl squad.”

Doubt filled Ma Qing Yang’s face. “I thought we did not have much information regarding the internal situation of the base? Where did all this detailed information come from?”

Everyone was wondering the same thing.

Qi Bai Jia shook his head. “Not sure. The higher ups said it was classified.”

Everybody stopped their questioning.

Han Xiao pricked up his ears slightly. The source of this intel is sitting right beside you guys.

Qi Bai Jia added more pointers for everyone to take note. Suddenly, his tone changed. “For this combined exercise, Hesla will be sending teams of agents from the intelligence department. They will move with us when we meet at the rendezvous point.”

Zhang Wei’s expression became unnatural, and he questioned, “Agents from two countries working on this mission together?”

Qi Bai Jia was feeling embarrassed and coughed. “Yes.”

That was just courting trouble!

Hesla was unsatisfied with the intel from Stardragon. Also, they didn’t want to expend much of their own force, so they requested that Division 13 deploy manpower for this mission.

The agents looked at one another with unease. The relationship between the two countries were rather stale. The agents even seemed hostile toward one another. It seemed like the mission would turn out to be a flop.

None of this intel was useful for Han Xiao. He yawned and looked out of the window. He squinted after he caught sight of something. He immediately interrupted the discussion and shouted, “We are under attack by beasts!”

Everyone was stunned and could not react. The train vibrated violently, causing the agent to almost fall. At the same time, there was a loud and horrible cry from the field personnel in the back carriage.

The train rocked violently. The shaking came from the last carriage of the train. The Covert Ops agents, who were trying hard to maintain their footings, peeked out of the windows, and the sight in front of them was shocking.

Under the cover of darkness, a gargantuan black worm was coiled up around the last carriage. The worm’s body spanned over tens of meters, and it had a glossy, black exoskeleton that was composed of chitin, reflecting the moonlight.

The creature looked hideous. The head of the worm housed its gigantic mouth, with sharp teeth that continued way down into its throat. The worm was chewing on the metallic exterior of the train carriage, perforating the carriage’s exterior. An unfortunate agent ended up in the worm’s mouth, and in a brief moment, the screaming ended as the victim turned into minced meat.

Xiao Han felt a cold shiver. The bold ideas he previously had vanished instantly.

“It is the Dark Earthly Worm!” One could see the fear on Qi Bai Jia’s face.

Xiao Han drew his Berserk Eagle out from the holster and fired a shot at the worm. He tensed up the moment the stats of the worm flashed on the screen before his eyes.

_____________________

The Dark Earthly Worm

Level: 48

(Infant stage) Lv. 10, (Adolescent stage) Lv. 10, (Adult stage) Lv. 10, (Mating stage) lv10, (???) Lv. 8

Age: 71 years old

Stats: Strength 80, Dexterity ?, Endurance ?, Intelligence?, MYSTERY 1, LUCK 2

Energy: 0

Energy rank: ?

HP: ?

Abilities:

– Thick chitin exoskeleton: DEF +20

– Dark: +15% darkness attributes

– Large body: HP +1000, reduction of shock by 20%)

– Metal-chewing: additional 25% damage to metallic elements

– Rare blood of the Earthly Dragon: HP +2000, +10% defense against supernatural elements

– ???, ???, ??? …

Skills:

– Kill by Strangling Lv. 7

– Slither Lv. 10

– Rotating incisors Lv. 6

– Acid-spit Lv. 5

– ???, ???, ??? …

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Xiao Han felt it was really unfair that even the monster had more luck than him.

“Fire!”

The agents fired their pistols. The gunshots were deafening. However, the bullets merely grazed the thick exoskeleton of the worm, causing almost no harm to it.

The wilderness of Aquamarine was especially dangerous. All sorts of ghastly creatures roamed in it. There were many cases from the past where these creatures brutally slaughtered towns and cities. Humans had to rely on their collective intelligence and wisdom to counter these creatures in order to stay at the top of the food-chain.

The Dark Earthly Worm had a long lifespan. Its length increased proportionately with its age. Under normal circumstances, it peacefully resided in darkness with little activity. However, it would be awakened by violent vibrations in the ground.

It became clear to the folks that the worm had been woken up by the noise of the passing train.

To prevent encounters with wild creatures, every rail line had maintenance personnel who would inspect the infrastructure and survey the traffic, which also included surveying the underground for signs of life. If the worm had come before the last survey, it meant that the personnel in charge had slacked and failed to inspect the ground thoroughly.

The agents, who were considered prey by the worm, reacted to the situation with shock by firing their pistols. However, the smaller bullets form the pistol dealt almost zero damage to the worm, whose defense points were way above one hundred.

All the explosives and Gatling guns were in the store carriage. However, the agents were unable to obtain these weapons. Their access to the store carriage was blocked by the worm. The situation was not optimistic for the agents.

Amidst the chaos, a strong gust of wind buffeted the carriage. Random items fell out and started drifting in the wind. The train tilted at an angle of fifteen degrees as sparks flew out from the base of the train screeching against the track. The carriage looked as if it would be flipped by the massive body of the worm at any moment.

“Move aside!” Li Ya Lin shouted as she leapt forward with the foldable machete in her hand. She channeled the flames of yellow energy and hacked hard into the worm’s exoskeleton. A crack was heard, and a distinct cut appeared on the worm’s body.

It was useful!

Pugilists could channel their internal energy to deal astonishing damage. In this case, the punches and kicks had immense power and worked effectively.

After a quick glance, Di Su Su also went forward. With the foldable machete in her hand, channeling the flames of green energy, she hacked hard and fast, like streaks of lightning. A small piece of exoskeleton fell off the worm, and a faint glow of green could be seen.

The worm showed no signs of apprehension. It had its thick flesh and armor for protection and was, therefore, especially calm. It subsequently shrank its body to give the carriage a harder squeeze.

The monsters on Aquamarine were ferocious, and many had stacked abilities that made them especially hardy. The worm was evidently a wild BOSS level creature, and without the firepower of the modern military, it would be difficult to slaughter the monster. The worm was a creature that required at least fifty players of the same level to defeat. However, there were some instances where the monster was defeated by solo players.

In two gulps, another two agents were swallowed by the worm. The flesh of humans tasted much better than that of the sandworms underground. The Dark Earthly Worm ground its teeth as if it had enjoyed the meal.

The agents were shivering, and the brutality of the predator caused many to almost collapse to the ground. At that instant, it seemed like humans had lost their intelligence and had been reduced to prey waiting for their fateful moments to arrive.

“Use fire, the worm is afraid of fire!” Di Su Su yelled.

The worm had poor eyesight and was especially sensitive to heat and sparkles of ember, which had a similar effect on the worm to flashbangs on humans.

The agents realized that if the situation remained stagnant for much longer, the train would be destroyed. The only solution was to use flames to push the worm back. Zhang Wei immediately took out the magazine housing the High-Explosive ammunition.

Bang!

Instantly, the impregnable exoskeleton of the worm started burning. The worm lost its composure and started wriggling violently. The flames and the temperature made it especially uncomfortable. It became as agitated as a restless baboon.

Xiao Han stood there steadily like a nail in a plank. The increasing magnitude of the jolts made him worry about the carriage flipping. Almost all of Division 13’s agents had purchased the High-Explosive rounds, so he was confident that they could handle the situation effectively without him getting involved.

The fire started growing on the worm, and in less than a moment’s time, the worm could no longer withstand the glaring ember. It gave a shriek and loosened its grip on the carriage. Following that, it tunneled into the ground. In a matter of seconds, it was deep in the ground, leaving only piles of dirt.

The agents that managed to escape the wrath of the monster were still feeling shocked and fearful. They collapsed onto the ground.

“We are saved!”

“We are not dead yet, not dead yet…”

“Mama, I miss you!”

Although the worm only appeared for a few minutes, the damage it had caused was immense. There were holes everywhere on the carriage. It was in a shambles. If the worm had not been chased away, the train along with its passengers would have… well, maybe not all of the passengers would have perished, but the train was definitely going to have been delayed.

Luckily, there was the High-Explosive ammunition. The folk all looked toward Xiao Han. One could sense the appreciation in their eyes.

Zhang Wei patted on Xiao Han’s shoulder. No words could describe his gratitude.

“If you want to thank me, just say it. I can’t really read minds.”

“…”

Everyone was speechless.

Xiao Han’s words completely destroyed the atmosphere.

The agents rested for a moment and started clearing up the mess.

The attack by the Dark Earthly Worm was ultimately a one-time incident, and the fact that only one of such accidents had occurred proved that the military rail line was safest.

The scenery outside the train’s windows was mainly mountains, dense forests, and loess plains, which gradually became boring.

Along the way, Xiao Han stationed himself in the large black carriage, practicing his energy training technique and machine manufacturing skill.

Three days later, the train arrived at the Hesla Border station.

Hesla and Stardragon belonged to the same continent. The more liberal culture on Hesla was perhaps due to the hot and humid climate. Even outside of the beaches, bikini girls and topless guys could be seen walking on the streets.

The train pulled in to the military train station. Looking through the window, a man in shades wearing a loose-fitting flowery shirt could be seen standing on the platform. He was probably the next point of contact.

Han Xiao alighted from the train together with the rest as Qi Bai Jia led the way. Qi Bai Jia walked up to the man and introduced himself. “I am Qi Bai Jia from the Stardragon’s Division 13.”

The man laughed and removed his shades. He had unshaven stubble and looked unkempt, as if he was a fishmonger from the market.

“I am Ye Fan from the Hesla Intelligence Department.”

Han Xiao was in disbelief.

Ye Fan‽

Which Ye Fan was he?

What exactly happened!

The man looked nothing like the dashing and cool Ye Fan that Han Xiao pictured in his mind.

Ye Fan saw the hole-studded train carriage and immediately asked, “You guys encountered a monster?”

“It was just a small worm, no real threat.”

Qi Bai Jia gave a dry cough. Despite of the danger caused by the worm, there was no way he would admit that the situation had been greatly perilous. He needed to maintain the reputation of the Stardragon agents and wanted the folks on Hesla to believe that they were strong.

“It must have been really fortunate for you guys to arrive safely.” Ye Fan laughed. He did not further probe into Qi Bai Jia’s words.

Ye Fan put his shades back on and said, “Let us quickly head to the command center and report in. Our administrative procedures here are less complicated than those in Maple, at least 90% less.”

Some agents chuckled to themselves. Maple was known for its inflexible system. Apparently when the Shanuks from Theseus and Maple collaborated to wipe out the Vagrant Warlords, the short-tempered Shanuks were so frustrated with the elaborate reporting procedures of Maple that they almost fought with the officials at the Maple Intelligence Unit’s Caroma headquarters.

The administrative pre-requisite for this joint operation required the commanders to submit their operation plans before the actual execution of the mission.

For this operation, the Hesla military was delegated to be the offensive force. The agents were in charge of reconnaissance missions to uncover the enemy’s defense blueprints at the Dark Crow Valley Base.

Along the way, one could see the brand-new bulletproof jeeps and small tanks parked in garages. There were also honeycomb missile-launchers and groups of soldiers transporting ammunition.

Zhang Wei, Di Su Su, and Ma Qing Yang became really quiet, a stark contrast from their usual chatty behavior. It was their nationalistic sentiments affecting them. Han Xiao realized that he should not do anything overboard at that point in time.

The commanding officer was a muscular Caucasian man by the name of Colonel Carl. Colonel Carl was studying the operation plan hanging on the wall. Upon hearing the door creak, Colonel Carl, who thought that it was his assistant officer entering the room, blurted out, “Do not disturb me when I am thinking!”

Ye Fan coughed and said, “Colonel, the agents from Stardragon are here to submit their report.”

Colonel Carl turned his head to face Ye Fan. The tension on his face relieved immediately. He squinted his eyes and stared coldly at the Stardragon agents with distrust. He took out a document from his drawer.

“Take them down to rest, we will set off together in an hour,” he ordered.

Carl seemed unfriendly to the agents of Division 13. Ye Fan took the agents to a room and asked them to stay put at the location since they would be moving out shortly.

After Ye Fan left, the agents were left alone. Lin Yao finally dared to speak and asked softly, “Why do I get the feeling that the Hesla soldiers, especially the commanding officer, seem to not like us?”

Ma Qing Yang gave a sarcastic grin and said, “In the past, there were wars between Stardragon and Hesla. Therefore, the people of Hesla are unfriendly toward us. It is really frustrating that we have to face such situations even when we are on a collaborative mission with them. Colonel Carl definitely doesn’t look like an easy figure to appease.”

The different cliques within Division 13 was not unique to Stardragon. In fact, many countries faced such situations. Maple and Ordina were more conservative. Raylen and Theseus were more assertive. Stardragon and Hesla were more neutral.

Lin Yao remarked in disbelief, “Why did the department send us to Hesla then? What if they make us the sacrificial objects for the mission?”

“Nobody knows what the higher-ups have in mind. I guess we have to count on ourselves to stay safe.”

Ma Qing Yang, being a seasoned member of the department, was no longer surprised or shocked by such arrangements.

Qi Bai Jia explained, “Don’t worry, every command given to you guys has to gain my approval.”

The agents fell silent after a series of discussions to get into the mode for the mission.

“I am going out to take a puff.”

Han Xiao stood up and walked out of the room. He lighted his cigarette and took a deep puff, which went all the way down to his lungs, then out of his nostrils in two trails of smoke. He felt a sense of relief.

He ignored the unfriendly stares from the Hesla soldiers and diverted his attention to the mission plan on the screen of the tablet.

_____________________

You have activated [Operation Dark Crow Valley Base].

Mission Brief: This is a small-scale military operation. As a member of Division 13 and participant of the operation, look out for what you can do!

Hint: The mission is a part of the Camp-destroyer series and you can claim these rewards upon completion of the mission.

Reconnaissance 1: Team mission. Monitor the situation in Crow’s Forest Town. 3,000 EXP rewarded.

Reconnaissance 2: Team mission. Monitor the situation in Dark Crow Valley Camp. 8,000 EXP rewarded.

Logistics member: Solo mission. Complete 20 tool repairs for your teammates. 8,000 EXP rewarded.

Assassin: Solo mission. Kill 8 sentries. 18,000 EXP rewarded.

Direct conflict: Solo mission. Kill 50 Germinal Organization soldiers. 35,000 EXP rewarded.

Assassination 1: Kill Dormund. Rewards based on contribution.

Assassination 2: Kill Ji Jie. Reward based on contribution.

Assassination 3: Kill Pan Kuang. Rewards based on contribution.

Destroy the Dark Crow Valley Camp: Rewards based on the level of completion of mission and individual contribution.

At the end of the mission, rewards will be issued based on individual stats and performance.

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Initially, Han Xiao thought that it was going to be a normal mission, but instead, the operation was part of the Camp-destroyer series, which allowed for a varied and outstanding performance.

There were many types of missions, and for those belonging to the Camp-destroyer series, as long as one completed most of the objectives, the rewards would be generous. There were also additional rewards based on one’s individual performance.

As Han Xiao was smoking, a lady with short red hair approached him and asked, “Are you from Stardragon?”

Staring at her in the eye, Han Xiao nodded. “I suppose so.”

Immediately, the lady drew a knife from her waist and stabbed toward the neck of Han Xiao!

Han Xiao stared at the red-haired woman without flinching.

The knife was only three centimeters from his main artery when it stopped and turned away, displaying the woman’s strong skill wielding her weapon. The woman gave a fierce look. “Why aren’t you dodging?”

“Why should I dodge?”

“So, you think I do not dare stab you?”

“You can try.”

Han Xiao’s face did not change one bit. Somewhere beneath his clothes, the magnetic-controlled extendable suit had already inched near his collar. He could protect his neck at a moment’s notice, and therefore, he was fearless.

Furthermore, since she was able to move freely in the military campsite, she had to be a Hesla agent. She would not really harm him like this. This would most likely be a test of his ability or to instill fear in him. However, how dare they picked him as the target! Han Xiao was slightly irritated. His eyes turned ice-cold.

The red-haired woman suddenly felt a shiver down her back and did not realize where it came from. She collected her mind, and harrumphed. “Winna, agent from Hesla Intelligence Department.”

She had just finished talking when she felt something pushing onto her stomach. She looked down; a large caliber pistol was pointing right at her stomach.

Only then did Han Xiao laugh and say, “Han Xiao.”

That was fast! I didn’t even see how he drew his gun!

Her pupil constricted. She put away her knife. Han Xiao withdrew his gun, too.

“I will remember that.”

Winna turned around and left.

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. “Hesla personnel sure are hostile toward us. They’d better not drag me down.”

….

After Winna walked some distance away, she gave a sigh of relief. She realized cold sweat was dripping down her hairline and became serious.

That Stardragon agent gave her… an extremely dangerous vibe.

Winna returned to the lounge to look for the rest of the Hesla agents. Ye Fan smiled and asked, “Discover anything?”

Winna took a sip of water to sooth her parched throat and replied in a serious tone, “That Han Xiao is likely very dangerous.”

“Han Xiao?”

Ye Fan thought of something based on the physical description of him.

That guy had been very low profile ever since they alighted the train. He only gave a weird look when someone called his name.

“A strange person,” Ye Fan concluded.

…

Han Xiao finished smoking and stepped on the cigarette butt. He walked back into the lounge.

Qi Bai Jia looked over and asked abruptly, “Nothing happened, right?”

“Something happened. I saw a female pig falling into a ditch.”

Qi Bai Jia felt slightly awkward. “Can you be more serious?”

“In that case, there was nothing,” replied Han Xiao nonchalantly. Since it was only a test meant to scare him, he did not want everyone to hear about it. Firstly, it was to protect the mission. And secondly, he didn’t think he wanted to be strayed by emotions.

In his mind, they were three types of enemies. The first type pissed him off or violated his interests. The second type wanted him dead or endangered his life. The last type was his nemesis. There was also the type that not only had mutual hatred but also conflicting interests. One example would be the Germinal Organization. This was the enemy that was top priority for Han Xiao. The first kind was too mild for him to care about.

Qi Bai Jia gave Han Xiao a complicated look. He was sitting by the window and had seen the whole incident unfold. He had gone on a lot of field missions before, and he knew that the other country’s agents would surely test their ability and show off their own prowess. This was a covert rule. All the agents were proud and arrogant. They would not get respect and power without showing off their ability. If anyone were to complain to their superior, they would actually be laughed at.

Qi Bai Jia greatly approved of what Han Xiao had done. He did not let Stardragon’s reputation down, and he was glad that Han Xiao had kept his mouth shut. This guy’s ability is good, and he understands the bigger picture.

…

“They didn’t fight?”

Carl nodded his head in satisfaction after he heard his deputy’s report.

“Good. Seems like those Stardragon people know their place on our territory.”

….

Soon, it was time for them to depart. Everyone gathered at the border exit. Ye Fan, together with Winna, brought a dozen agents, armed and ready to go.

The first stop of the mission was a position far away from the Crow Valley Town. There was an abandoned secret hideout of Hesla’s. They would be using it as their temporary base.

Division 13 transported the land rovers using the train. They were just regular all-terrain cars. Only Han Xiao’s Big Black was unique. He drove his team off amid loud revving of the engine.

This time, he drove steadily and comfortably. Li Ya Lin was almost moved to tears. The other three teammates, cramped in the other seats, were puzzled. They didn’t understand Li Ya Lin’s big reaction to all this.

It was half a day’s ride. Hesla’s motorcade was leading, and Division 13 followed.

Suddenly, Hesla’s motorcade sped up, gradually increasing the distance between the two parties. Di Su Su and Ma Qing Yang accelerated when they realized it.

Only Han Xiao, driving Big Black, followed slowly at the back.

“Xiao Ge, we need to catch up with them!” Lin Yao said anxiously.

Han Xiao’s had one hand on the steering wheel while the other one was out of the window and enjoying the wind. “Why do we need to catch up? No matter how fast they drive now, they will have to wait for us later.”

“Well… you are right when you put it that way.”

Suddenly, Di Su Su’s laughter came from the radio. “Little Lin Lin, how come you guys are so slow. Hurry and catch up with us. Unless Han Xiao’s skills are not up to par?”

“I do not want to waste my petrol,” Han Xiao replied briefly.

Di Su Su was instantly stunned. This was the first time she heard such a unique excuse. Agents like us need to worry about paying for petrol?

Ma Qing Yang chimed in on the radio. “Zhang Wei, this is Hesla’s agents showing off. We must not lose to them.”

Zhang Wei pondered for a few seconds, and he patted on Han Xiao’s shoulder. “Let’s catch up with them.”

Li Ya Lin’s face immediately turned pale. She grabbed Zhang Wei’s sleeve hurriedly and urged, “Please don’t. This speed is great!”

“What exactly do you fear?” Zhang Wei was really puzzled.

“Captain, is it not good to be alive?” Li Ya Lin said in a trembling and sobbing tone.

Zhang Wei was extremely baffled.

Han Xiao raised his eyebrow. “You really want to pursue them?”

“Yes.” Zhang Wei nodded his head.

Han Xiao sighed and changed the gear with ease. “Okay then. You guys had better hold on tight.”

Li Ya Lin was deeply fearful. She held onto the car door as tightly as she could and clenched her jaw.

“You… you guys will definitely regret this.”

…

In the afternoon, everyone arrived at the destination.

As soon as they alighted their vehicles, they all looked at the big black truck with shock, horror, and disbelief. Cold chills ran down their spine whenever they thought of the scene from before.

Even though they were experienced agents who had seen many things, such as “S” and “Z” shape movements, this was the first time they had seen an “&” shape movement! And it was faster than anyone else!

This could not even be counted as drifting… more like flying!

The truck driver must have been heavily under the influence!

Zhang Wei, Lin Yao, and Li Ya Lin fumbled out of the vehicle, held onto a tree at the side, and started vomiting everything they had inside them. At that moment, they felt like they’d be better off dead.

“Blargh—”

“Oh my god… I feel like I’m dying. Blargh—”

“Told you that you would regret this. Blargh—”

Han Xiao strolled down from the car and clamped a cigarette comfortably in his mouth. He smirked and said, “Well, you guys told me to chase.”

“You… Do you specialize in driving bumper cars‽”

Han Xiao curled his lips. Bumper cars? Don’t look down on me. I used to drive Mechas!

Lambert got out of the car with sturdy steps, as if nothing had happened to him. Han Xiao’s eyes gleamed. “See? There is someone normal enough to enjoy my driving.”

Just as Lambert opened his mouth to speak, vomit came out like waterfall. Only after everything was vomited out did Lambert commented with a poker face, “If you ever touch the steering wheel again, I will just jump out of the car.”

The cars were parked outside. After everyone moved their equipment into the secret base, they began their pre-mission briefing.

“We have two operations. Firstly, disguise as wanderers and blend into Dark Crow Forest Town to gather intel; secondly, search for sentry guards from the Germinal Organization that are left alone and force information about their base out of them.

“We will handle the sentries, your people can go to the Dark Crow Forest Town,” Winna immediately stated.

Di Su Su frowned. There would mostly likely be spies hidden in the town. If they attempted to blend in, they might be exposed and be put in dire danger. If so, they would not achieve anything. Searching for sentries would be much safer and easier to accomplish.

Hesla just could not wait to throw all the dangerous and tough jobs to Division 13. This attitude annoyed them greatly, but someone had to do the missions after all. If it was not going to be Hesla then it had to be Division 13. As such, no one voiced any objection.

“To infiltrate the town, we must first disguise ourselves as wanderers and then find an opportunity to gather intel covertly. We must not act rashly and alert the enemy,” said Qi Bai Jia.

After some discussion, it was decided that some people would stay at the base as backup. Four people stayed behind: Lin Yao, Qi Bai Jia, Ma Qing Yang, and Han Xiao.

Hesla also left some personnel to guard the base. Han Xiao only knew Ye Fan from their group.

It was only the afternoon. The Hesla agents decided to take a rest first. They would wait till dawn, when enemy’s alertness would be at its lowest, to move off to find enemy sentry guards. They had brought infrared imaging devices, so the darkness actually provided them with an advantage. Also, they secretly wanted Division 13 to be the guinea pig to sweep away some danger first.

Once the mission plan was finalized, those Division 13 agents who were going in mixed together to form a team with Di Su Su as the leader. They were disguised in wanderer’s clothes and looked travel-worn and weary. They hunched their backs to look as if they were being weighed down by stress. They carried giant backpacks and looked exactly like those real wanderers. They then headed toward the Dark Crow Forest Town on foot.

The secret base was equipped with many computer screens that were connected to agents’ camera and earphones. Han Xiao, Lin Yao, and Qi Bai Jia would rotate to monitor the situation.

Di Su Su’s team soon arrived at the crowded town, which was displayed on the screens. There were many different types of buildings, and despite the housing being simple and crude, there were many people there, making it look like a marketplace. Although the town was small in area, it had everything, even hotels for guests.

“Let’s look for a place to stay first.”

Di Su Su and the gang were questioned by the locals, but she answered perfectly. They were just ‘wanderers that were migrating’ and ‘wanted to rest here for a while before moving off.’ Afterwards, they successfully checked in at one of the hotels in the town.

As soon as they entered the room, they immediately swept for monitoring cameras and bugs professionally. They started discussing their next steps after they made sure the room was safe.

“How should we proceed now?” Li Ya Lin curled her lips and gave Di Su Su a cold look.

Di Su Su was not in the mood to banter with Li Ya Lin. Her brows knitted together as she said in a serious tone, “People in the town are still suspicious of our identity. I think we should stay put.”

Han Xiao suddenly chimed in through the earpieces. “You guys had better act today.”

“Give me a good reason.” Di Su Su was slightly provoked.

“You guys are now foreign wanderers, so you should act your part. It is only normal to gather information about this place. It will actually look strange if you purposefully conceal yourselves, making others feel that you have an ulterior motive.”

Everyone looked at one another. “That seems like a good point.”

“…Let’s do what Han Xiao suggested.”

The town had many amenities, including entertainment facilities, casinos, a pharmacy, restaurants, and even places for one to release. As night fell, the team moved out in different groups and pretended to spend money, probe for intel, and gather information. However, they did not achieve any substantial success. The locals there were mostly ordinary wanderers, and they did not spot any people of interest.

“Our enemies must be hiding deeply. We probably won’t get anything through this method.” Qi Bai Jia’s expression was grave.

“Actually, I know a way.” Han Xiao smiled. He knew the specific spy that was station at this town. After ‘real’ players earned enough reputation from missions, they could choose to join the Germinal Organization through this NPC. By catching this NPC, they could get quite a lot of intel.

Han Xiao knew the exact coordinates of the Dark Crow Valley Base, but he was unsure of the specific military strength and defenses of the base. After ten long years, he only remembered a little information about the place. Furthermore, they were at the different point in time, so the changes would be different. It was essential for them to gather intel from the NPC.

“You guys should go to the southern part of town, where you will see a casino. There should be a bald-headed dude who knows the intel about the base.” Han Xiao was describing the spy from the Germinal Organization stationed at the town. Those ‘real’ players who were born at Dark Crow Forest Town could only join the Germinal Organization through this guy.

Everyone was shocked. Di Su Su frowned. “Where did you get this information from?”

“I have my ways.”

“What if the information is incorrect?” Di Su Su was adamant.

“Listen to him.” Qi Bai Jia spoke up for Han Xiao. Before the mission, higher ups had told him to trust his intel. This showed that the higher ups valued Han Xiao highly.

Di Su Su had to repress her suspicion and follow to the order. She took some agents to the small casino and looked for the person quietly. Without fail, they found the bald-headed guy, who was the banker of the casino.

“What should we do now? If we act rashly, we could alarm our enemies. He might have companions from the organization around him,” asked Di Su Su.

Han Xiao was speechless. “We’ve already found our target. Can’t you just be professional and do what you usually do?”

Di Su Su felt her chest tighten, enraged by his comment. But at the same time, she realized that she had asked a dumb question. She gathered her teammates to secretly surround the guy.

Han Xiao looked at the time. He got up and let Lin Yao take over his duty. He did not feel that he needed to supervise the actual execution. If they could not even catch the guy, those agents should just knock themselves out with a piece of tofu.

At the same time, Winna and her team of Hesla agents left for their objective after she gave Han Xiao a fierce glare.

Han Xiao did not plan to rest at the secret base. He went into the trunk of Big Black and started assessing the situation. Both operations are team-based. They will most likely complete them without any hiccups. I should be more concerned with my personal mission. I will need some handy tools in order to assassinate the sentry guards in the forest.

Han Xiao took out some spare parts and began working on his interface.

_____________________

Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?

(Basic Spatial Sensing + Basic Bio-engineering + Basic Mechanical Engineering)

This fusion will cost you 15,000 EXP.

_____________________

Fusion Success!

Congratulations, you have invented [Miniature Biological Sensor (Spider)]!

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…

Winna’s team sneaked among the trees silently as if they were hunters searching for prey in the dark forest. They were wearing camouflage suits and night-vision goggles.

The sentry guards were stationed right outside the base. One of the team members was a master in investigating trails. He could deduce the number of people that had walked past a location a day before based on the minimal evidence left behind.

He was called Magarnu, a tall Sharnuk. He was built like a small mountain, which made it hard to believe that he was extremely meticulous. He rubbed the soil between his fingertips, smelt it, and pondered for a few moments. “There was a man, weighing around 180 pounds, who walked past here in a northwestern direction seven hours ago.”

Winna did not doubt Magarnu’s deduction. She and her team walked carefully in that direction. Suddenly, they came to a halt. Night vision goggles showed a living entity on tree three hundred meters out.

“Search the surroundings!”

Winna kept a cool head and did not act prematurely. She instructed her team to search for any other sentry guards or surveillance devices in the surroundings. After about twenty minutes, they confirmed that they were safe.

Ye Fan gave the order through the radio. “Take him down!”

Winna activated her power, and immediately, a maroon energy trail flashed under her feet. She moved swiftly and quietly within a hundred-meter radius from the enemy. She always stayed in the blind spots of the enemy by using the trees to hide her body like a master-level assassin. She hopped onto a tree in a cat-like manner before summoning her maroon-colored energy. The energy allowed her to stick onto the tree branches, and she jumped constantly from tree to tree, quickly approaching the enemy.

The Germinal sentry guard felt a sudden gust of wind over his head. He looked up and saw a dark shadow accelerating toward him.

Ten minutes later…

Snap!

Magarnu twisted the neck of the sentry guard.

They had already secured the information they wanted.

Winna’s voice blared out from the communication device. “From our preliminary reconnaissance activity, we discovered that the base has been divided into 6 high-alert regions. The level of defense gradually increases from the innermost to the outermost sectors. We are currently at the outermost region.

“Every high-alert region will have a sentry post manned by an officer and his troops. Based on our previous interrogation, officers have access to the intranet of the military base. Therefore, as long as we can arrive at the sentry post, we will be able to access the intranet and gather intelligence using the officer’s computer.

“This sentry guard revealed the exact position of the post. Let’s move out immediately!”

Ye Fan knew that even the slightest delay would change the outcome of the operation. There was a series of protocols to follow for the shift-changing of the sentry guards in the next few hours; by then, other soldiers would discover the disappearance of the sentry guard who had been killed. However, their first priority was still to gather sufficient intelligence even if that risked revealing their positions, since ultimately, the enemy would realize the impending invasion by the Hesla military. They needed to find out the military strength and defenses at the Dark Crow Valley base.

If Winna managed to succeed, the agents of Division 13 hiding in Dark Crow Forest Town would fall into the precarious situation of revealing their positions to the enemy. The agents might even be caught before they made their moves.

Ye Fan analyzed the situation rationally and made the decision.

“Operation approved! Immediately head out to the enemy base.”

Winna nodded and disposed of the sentry guard’s body. She then led her teammates into the enemy base.

Ye Fan heaved a sigh of relief, and his eyes moved away from the screen. He glanced at the operations’ office of Division 13 and shook his head slightly. He did not know what his decision would bring, but he wanted the best for the mission. He would inform the department afterwards.

There were times when one had to take a leap of faith.

…

Before twilight, Winna and her team found the sentry post.

It was a shed camouflaged deep in the vegetation used by the hunters.

Quietly, the team moved closer to their target. Magarnu grabbed the sound-wave detector from his haversack and scanned the interior of the shed from outside. The results returned revealed three human targets: one lying on the sofa and two who seemed to be consuming their supper at the table.

Winna raised her hand and started the count.

Three, two, one! Winna leapt forward into the shed through the window. Her teammates followed behind.

The three enemy soldiers were shocked by the unexpected attack, and before they could retaliate, they were shot with the tranquilizers by the Hesla agents and collapsed onto the ground.

The Hesla agents then searched the shed and the clothing of the unconscious soldiers. They uncovered a hidden compartment behind the wall. The agents discovered that out of the three soldiers, one of them was an officer based on the identity card he carried.

“This is our target.” Winna grinned to herself. This officer by the name of Roman seemed to be the one in charge of the sentry post.

The agents tied Roman up and gave him an injection to wake him up. Magarnu then slapped Roman repeatedly to speed up the process. “Tell us the password to the safe if you want to live!”

Roman was scared to death by the troop of heavily armed agents and immediately confessed the password without any sign of hesitance.

After entering the password, the safe successfully opened, and a laptop could be seen. After turning on the laptop, a sign-in page appeared on the screen, and both the identity card and a verbal password were required to access the portal.

Roman was very cooperative, and the agents managed to access the portal with his account. Following the jingle, the words ‘Dang Dang Dang the Germinal assistant is at your service.’ flashed on the screen.

Startled, Ye Fan choked on his coffee.

All the agents had confused looks on their faces. No one could have imagined that the portal’s interface would look like that.

Ye Fan didn’t know what to say. “What a cute portal…”

A couple of menus appeared on the server, and due to the low rank of Roman, he could only access a few of them. Winnie found the page that displayed the daily activity log for the military base, and the team became really excited.

There must be important information hidden in the daily logs.

“Let me do it.” Ye Fan instructed Magarnu to plug the chip into the computer, which allowed Ye Fan’s computer to also access the server.

There was a look of seriousness on Ye Fan’s face, and his fingers started to punch the keyboard and input the codes like a butterfly dancing in the air.

Level 1 Firewall, hacked!

Level 2 Firewall, hacked!

Level 3 Firewall, hacked!

One-time-password, hacked!

Rights restrictions, hacked!

Ye Fan gave a slight smile. He was a seasoned hacker in Hesla with hundreds of viruses and bugs in his arsenal. Except for certain servers on the dark web, there was practically no server that could escape his attacks.

In less than three minutes, all the encrypted documents were decoded. At that point, the enemy technicians realized what was happening and started deleting the documents frantically while Ye Fan was copying the files.

In a brief moment, all the documents were deleted. Ye Fan’s computer was too slow and only managed to copy 28% of the documents. The more confidential documents were deleted first.

However, the copied documents contained sufficient intelligence, including defense blueprints, internal structure information, and the military strength of the base.

Ye Fan felt relieved. “Good job and well done! Now it’s time to return.”

The attempt to steal sensitive information about the Dark Crow Valley base would definitely heighten the security of the enemy. However, it was all worth it for the intelligence reports.

But despite the success, there was still a sense of unease in Ye Fan.

It seemed a little… too easy.

…

A member of staff from the central control room of the Dark Crow Valley base reported, “Sir, our external server was hacked.”

The assistant director of the military base was Ji Jie. He was a tall, lanky man with a sly appearance. He proceeded calmly to the screened and asked, “What data was stolen?”

“The daily activity logs, internal structure of the military base, the coordinates of the base, the sentry logs for the base…”

Even though so much critical information had been stolen by the hackers, there was no sign of panic within the base.

“Were the hackers actually from Hesla?”

“The bait is set; now, we are just waiting for the fish.” Ji Jie gave an eerie grin. He was like a hunter, excited to see the prey he had managed to trap.

Ji Jie went into the director’s office and reported the situation to Pan Kuang.

“Our external deceptive server was hacked. I presume the hackers to be from Hesla, and they will probably launch a military invasion soon.”

Pan Kuang was polishing his dark, long machete with his handkerchief. The machete had an icy cold blade and a thick body with its handle wrapped with strips of cloth. There were clear spots of dried blood on the cloth. The machete had been used to slay many enemies throughout the years.

Pan Kuang was fixated on polishing his blade. He then asked calmly, “What do you think we should do?”

Ji Jie cleared his throat and said, “Although the information stolen by the enemy is false, we have unfortunately revealed the existence of the base. Therefore, I hope that the chief can evacuate the base and bring along all necessary equipment and information. In addition, I also recommend that we deal a hard and decisive blow to the existing enemy forces.”

”Ok, just tell me when you need me to fight,” Pan Kuang replied.

[Reconnaissance 1 completed, you gained 3,000 EXP]

Han Xiao was woken up by the pop-up message on the screen. He looked out of the car’s window to see it was twilight, and the sky was a grayish blue hue and was gradually getting brighter.

The previous night, Han Xiao had been busy creating new machines and only had two hours of sleep. He took out his water bottle and splashed the water onto his face. The cooling splashes refreshed his senses. Then, he went out of the storage and headed for the base.

Lin Yao had worked throughout the night, and she was exhausted. Qi Bai Jia was next in line for the shift, and he woke up from his nap on the couch.

“How was last night’s operation?” Han Xiao asked.

Lin Yao replied with fatigue, “The bald guy revealed the positions of his comrades to us in the forest, and we managed to apprehend them. Also, we discovered the exact location of the Dark Crow Valley base from the captives’ statements. However, our prisoners are low-ranking personnel, and therefore, they do not have the authority to access confidential files.”

Han Xiao nodded to himself. The outcome was what he expected.

“Is the operation team still in action?”

“Yes, the agents are all still hidden in the forest, waiting for new orders.”

“There is no point waiting in the forest. The agents should return,” said Han Xiao.

Qi Bai Jia, who was munching on his breakfast rations, blurted out, “Hey, I am supposed to be in-charge here.”

“Aren’t you in-charge because you are supposed to take the blame for all of us?” Han Xiao questioned.

Qi Bai Jia choked on his rations. He wanted to rebut Han Xiao but was interrupted by Ye Fan.

“Fellow agents of Division 13, our guys have successfully obtained critical intelligence of the Dark Crow Valley base.”

Qi Bai Jia was puzzled. In less than a day, the Hesla agents had managed to complete the mission. Their efficiency seemed too impressive to be true!

“You guys really secured information about the base?”

Ye Fan nodded in affirmation. “Winna captured an enemy officer. Our operation is done, and we are getting our agents back. After which, we will compile the gathered intelligence and pass the critical information to the military.”

Although it was claimed that the mission was completed, Han Xiao’s tablet indicated that [Reconnaissance 2] was not completed. He frowned and then questioned, “Can you ensure that the information we obtained is accurate and not fake. Also, can you explain the flow of events to us?”

“Of course,” Ye Fan and Winna briefly described the completed operation.

“Don’t you think the mission seemed to be too smooth-sailing?” muttered Han Xiao.

“The mission was indeed easy, but there is nothing especially suspicious. Perhaps, it was a result of the enemy letting their guard down. Also, our mission this time was supposed to be a covert assault.”

“I have second thoughts to the reliability of the information obtained.”

“In our line of work, we must not be too trusting, but you must also back your word with evidence.” The frustrated Ye Fan frowned even harder and ordered, “In any case, we will move out at dawn tomorrow.”

Looking at the Ye Fan’s back as he left, Han Xiao’s face dimmed. He could confirm with hundred-percent certainty that there was something wrong with the intelligence gathered by Ye Fan.

Han Xiao started thinking about the events that Ye Fan had described. Although Winna and her fellow agents were a little too brash with their actions, they had not made any critical mistakes. Therefore, the only possibility was that Dark Crow Valley contained hidden traps that outsiders were unaware of.

Han Xiao unfortunately had no evidence, and even if he voiced his opinions, nobody would believe him.

A mere speculation was insufficient to convince anybody.

“Looks like I have to go and take a look at it myself.”

In the morning, Di Su Su and Winna returned back to the base. Both brought with them their prisoners. Since Roman was an officer, his value exceeded that of all the prisoners brought in by Di Su Su.

Winna beamed with pride like a victor. In her opinion, the operation was likened to a battle between the two countries of agents. It was exhilarating for her that the agents from Hesla had trumped the agents from Stardragon.

The agents from Division 13 were irritated by the arrogance of the agents from Hesla. Li Ya Lin remarked, “If we were the ones in charge of your mission, we would have been winners ourselves.”

Winna smirked. “Accept the sad truth that you guys lost.”

Han Xiao went forward and said, “The information you guys obtained might be fake.”

Even if the agents from Hesla did not believe him, Han Xiao still felt the obligation to voice that fact.

Winna’s face instantly slumped and questioned, “Any evidence?”

“My intuition.”

Everyone was astonished by the answer.

Winna laughed. “Then I guess you have to shut up. Who do you think you are?”

Han Xiao calmly replied, “Do you have any evidence then?”

Winna patted on the shivering Roman and said, “He is my evidence.”

Han Xiao squatted down and gave Roman a thorough scan. It seemed like the Dark Crow Valley base had a master of deception.

Roman did seem to be genuinely frightened, and this showed that he was not providing fake information to the agents on purpose. Therefore, the only reasonable deduction was that the higher-ups of the enemy base had never intended to reveal genuine military information to their lower ranking officials. The sentry guards on the outer circumference of the base were merely posted as bait.

The information obtained by Ye Fan was highly likely to be deceptive.

To uncover the truth, Han Xiao needed to go deeper into the Dark Crow Valley base.

A plan started formulating in Han Xiao’s mind. However, he needed to wait till nightfall to execute the plan.

All the other agents were busy interrogating the prisoners and consolidating the intelligence report. They would leave the next morning. Therefore, he could carry out his plan at night.

…

Night arrived, and the bright moon masked the twinkle of the stars.

Han Xiao told his fellow agents that he wanted to be in the truck.

Nobody replied. The agents of Hesla could not be bothered with him, and the agents from Division 13 were too lazy to say no. Only Zhang Wei said, “Go if you really want to, nobody’s stopping you.”

Han Xiao nodded. After which he proceeded out of the camp. He went into the container and equipped himself with Lambert’s sniper-rifle. He also took other necessary equipment. After a few quick glances, he realized no one was present around the camp. Han Xiao sneaked out into the woods

He did not plan to inform his teammates. Qi Bai Jia would surely not approve of his actions, and this would only create more trouble.

After hours of trekking, he finally reached the stipulated location.

Equipped with his thermo-tracking night vision goggles and camouflage suit, after confirming that there were no enemies around him, he started digging a trench deep enough to fit himself.

After which, Han Xiao took out a small mechanical spider from his toolbox. The mechanical spider was the size of his palm. He flicked the switched, and the mechanical spider immediately stoop up before his eyes as if it was awaiting orders from its master.

[Miniature biological sensor (Spider): Miniature bug-like sensor]

This was the latest creation by Han Xiao. It was a practical tool due to its size, ability to camouflage, and ability to be remotely controlled. It also had thermo-sensors that enabled it to avoid other animals. It was like a walking surveillance camera. Han Xiao was not required to move up close to the sentry, and therefore, he was also less likely to be caught.

Han Xiao took out his tablet computer to remotely control the spiders. He was able to locate the positions of several sentries and most of them were hidden beside trees. Han Xiao pictured the location of the sentries in his mind so that he could come up with an optimal route for the assassination he was going to carry out.

Han Xiao carried the heavy sniper-rifle and trudged through the condensed vegetation. The target was now within the range of the rifle.

Lambert’s rifle had a silencer that allowed it to fire out a large beam of energy at a sound that was as light as a finger knocking on wood. In this dark and condensed vegetation, a seasoned agent would able to spot the any slight movement within the range of one hundred meters. However, Lambert’s rifle could be operated from a distance of eight hundred meters. It was also the main reason that compelled Han Xiao to select this weapon for the mission, which offered greater safety and convenience.

Han Xiao looked into the scope with great concentration and held his breath. The distance somehow did not matter, and Han Xiao could feel the adrenaline rushing through him.

The target was the enemy’s head!

The wind was blowing in 8 o’clock direction!

Wind-speed at 1.3 m/s with a 43 mm inaccuracy!

All the corrections and modifications were completed.

Han Xiao pulled the trigger. His body absorbed all the recoil coming from the butt of the rifle, and his hands gripped the rifle to stabilize it.

Through the thermo-sensing scope, Han Xiao could see that the bullet had managed to hit the target. The target had instantly lost his head, and blood was spurting out.

The bullet from the heavy sniper pierced through the target’s head. Like a watermelon pounded by a hammer, the head disintegrated into bits and pieces.

Through the video feed transmitted from the spider, Han Xiao adjusted his position and stabilized himself again, before firing a shot at another sentry guard. One shot after another, the sentry guards were eliminated. The interface flashed with each successful kill made by Han Xiao.

_____________________

The sudden blast is charged up to 200% and ready to be deployed.

The enemy has been successfully eliminated by the fatal blast. You have dealt 190 points of damage to the enemy.

You have successfully eliminated the sentry guard. 500 EXP gained from the attack.

_____________________

The sudden blast is charged up to 200% and ready to be deployed.

The enemy has been successfully eliminated by the fatal blast. You have dealt 201 points of damage to the enemy.

You have successfully eliminated the sentry guard. 500 EXP gained from the attack.

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

These level 10 sentry guards were merely ordinary troops. Their fighting abilities were similar to those of the guards back at the lab where Han Xiao had once been held captive. Han Xiao had no issues wiping out the lab guards back then. Likewise, he had no problems now.

One after another, the sentry guards were killed, and Han Xiao gained 18,000 EXP from the kills.

[Forest Assassin mission completed, you gained 18,000 EXP.]

The mission proceeded smoothly. After killing so many sentry guards, reinforcements were bound to arrive… and there they came!

The Spider detected three fully-armed quick-response teams approaching in their jeeps. After the jeeps pulled up, the team members hopped down and started conducting thorough searches.

The sentry guards had their earpieces, which enabled them to connect main communications network. If a sentry guard was killed, their radio channel would fall silent. If a large number of channels operated by the sentry guards fell silent, it would raise suspicions at the Dark Crow Valley Base, which would dispatch quick-response teams to the field to investigate the situation in response.

Han Xiao predicted that once the quick-response teams discovered the murdered sentry-guards, they would start searching intensely. Through the ‘eyes’ of the Spider, which he shifted up the tree, he could observe that the troopers were equipped with Jackson machine guns, high-explosive grenades, and RPG rocket launchers. Instantly, Han Xiao called off the plan of challenging these heavily armed troopers

It was the perfect time for Han Xiao to flee.

Han Xiao disassembled the heavy sniper and lugged it onto his shoulders. Clad in his camouflage suit, he sneakily shuffled to the trench he had dug. He transferred all the unnecessary accessories into the toolbox and then dumped both his sniper rifle and toolbox into the trench.

At that instant, the search-teams discovered the headless sentry guards. The armed troopers immediately started searching warily, using the torchlights on their machine guns.

The tree beside the trench was Han Xiao’s hiding spot. The spot had been carefully selected by Han Xiao. It was at the edge of the high-alert sector. The further away from the enemy base, the more dispersed the enemy troopers would be. It was likely that the troopers would search the area alone.

The rays of a torchlight flashed beside the tree. Han Xiao gradually lowered his body and held the thin metal wires tightly. He concentrated all the energy in his legs and was preparing to launch himself forward like a mantis.

The moment the trooper’s foot crossed the tree’s body, Han Xiao moved his body like a phantom and instantly went behind the sentry guard. Although the enemy had already detected Han Xiao’s movement and had intended to fire at him and call for help, Han Xiao reacted faster and managed to strangle the trooper by coiling the metal cables around the trooper’s neck.

Han Xiao then kicked the trooper’s machine gun to one side. After which, he wrestled the trooper to the ground. The trooper’s entire upper body was resting beneath his knees.

The suffocation caused the trooper’s face to turn purple. It was as if the blood was going to burst out of the vessels. At this point in time, the metal cables had already pierced into the flesh of the trooper. The trooper waved his hands hysterically, trying to grab Han Xiao by any means, but it was to no avail. The trooper’s eyes also flipped upwards.

Han Xiao maintained the tension until the interface indicated that the trooper was dead.

Throughout the entire process, he had managed to keep the struggling trooper silent.

Han Xiao quickly changed into the trooper’s uniform. The trooper was a Caucasian of similar height to himself. He quickly used his pocket knife to trim his hair. After which, he straightened his collar and pulled the sleeves tight to ensure none of his skin was showing, since he was of a different skin tone from the trooper. He then used his finger to tap his forehead to activate the face scanner. A light beam emerged from his forehead and scanned the dead trooper’s face.

Replicate the scan!

Almost immediately, Han Xiao’s face morphed into that of the trooper!

That was the trump card to be used in his successful infiltration.

He dumped the dead trooper’s body and the unwanted accessories into a hole and buried the contents. He then marked out the area. Han Xiao, clad in a trooper’s uniform, made his way forward blatantly. He could also clearly hear the conversations on the enemy’s communication channel.

“This is H103 reporting. Everything is fine in the northwest sector.”

“This is H141 reporting. Everything is fine in the southeast sector.”

The call-sign of the trooper that Han Xiao had killed was H223. Han Xiao made his report in a similar fashion using his suppressed voice.

“H223, what happened to your voice?” A man that seemed to be his captain spoke.

“I have a sore throat.”

After ‘searching’ the area for a while, Han Xiao was recalled. More than twenty troopers gathered at the jeep, and Han Xiao had not yet raised any suspicions.

The captain asked, “None of you found anything?”

“No sir,” the troopers replied.

The captain frowned and said, “Get in the car. Let’s head back to base.”

Han Xiao squinted. He had managed to infiltrate the team, and it was all part of his plan to enter the Dark Crow Valley base.

…

The car drove into a cave, and three minutes later, an unexpected sight appeared before Han Xiao’s eyes.

There was something special about the cave; it was actually a mini car-park.

The jeep pulled over, and the troopers alighted from it. Han Xiao tagged along with the team and came before a wall of rocks. The captain pulled out a rock that was actually a modified metal casing that contained a card-scanner.

The captain scanned his identity card, and following a boom, the rock wall split open. At this point, Han Xiao realized that the rock wall was a metal gate in disguise. The gate was sprayed with a greyish paint, and it looked very much like a rock. One would be unable to tell the difference if he or she did not examine the wall closely.

How strange. This looks exactly like what the agents from Hesla reported.

Han Xiao was confused. All of this had actually been detailed in Ye Fan’s intelligence reports. It was all accurate information. However, why did the interface claim that ‘Reconnaissance 2’ was not yet completed?

What was the problem exactly? Could it be something to do with the time? Perhaps the base appeared differently at different times of the day?

Han Xiao proceeded together with the rest, and they came upon a gantry. After scanning his identity card, he was finally into the base.

The base was hidden deep in the ground. It was supported by metallic structure, which added a cool greyish tone everywhere. There were winding corridors and many rooms. The troopers were busy transporting containers of items.

Han Xiao lifted his head, and he could see a surveillance camera positioned at the corner of the ceiling. He retracted his neck instinctively.

Going behind enemy lines alone was tough, and Han Xiao prayed for the success of his operation.

So, now that I am in the base, what shall I do next? Hang around aimlessly or chat someone up… better not. Chatting with someone will likely reveal my identity. What information am I hunting for exactly? Since for ‘Reconnaissance 2’, I am supposed to uncover critical intelligence with regards to the Dark Crow Valley base, there must be some loopholes here! Since the low-ranking officers serve merely as bait, most of the people are not likely to have access to important information. I need to find someone that looks and acts differently from the rest.

Once this thought flashed in Han Xiao’s mind, he started wandering about the base, carefully examining every inch.

…

“13 sentry guards were killed?”

Ji Jie frowned in disbelief. Based on his prediction, since the enemy agents had obtained the necessary intelligence, they would not kill any sentry guards. Unless, they were suspicious of the information they stole.

It appeared that these invaders were indeed meticulous and careful with their actions.

Ji Jie shook his head and said proudly, “But they are still greenhorns.”

The double-server network was the best trap Ji Jie had ever planted during his stint as the assistant officer in-charge of the base. Its sole purpose was to prevent invaders from attacking, and now, the security network’s effect was finally showing.

If only false information was planted, it would only raise the suspicions of the invading agents. Therefore, to deceive his enemies, Ji Jie was willing to risk his life and included some true information in the bait. The information included were the exact location of the base, the deployment of the sentry guards, and defense mechanisms in the third and sixth high-alert sectors. To successfully trick the enemies, a certain degree of true information needed to be weaved in with the false. The final two sectors had defense mechanisms with firepower that was more than ten times stronger than the rest. There was also another trump card.

“The chief has approved the path of the retreat. Reinforcements will arrive in five days. That will also be the day for the retreat. For now, let’s deliver a huge present to Hesla.”

The main forces of the Germinal organization were concentrated on the continent of Andrea. The Germinal Organization had also covertly extended its influence to the other continents through setting up secret facilities and bases. These bases remained hidden, and if they were discovered, the Germinal Organization would order the retreat as it was impossible for a single facility to withstand the raids from the military forces of the six nations.

Ji Jie was highly confident of his trap. He was not afraid to expose real information and the location of the base. He had one trump card in his hand. All the other troopers, and even the base itself, could be sacrificed in order to deal a strategic and painful blow to Hesla.

The more nervous he was, the harder it would be for him to infiltrate without being exposed. Han Xiao had many experiences infiltrating enemy bases. Thus, he was very calm and walked as fast as blowing wind, without alarming anyone.

He gradually understood more about the base after exploring it for a while. The base was hidden at the hill side, and it was about five to six times larger than the laboratory that he used to stay in. The base had two exits: one was the entrance that he took; the other was a side gate for the individual personnel to access the outside world conveniently.

Not knowing why, Han Xiao felt that some places in the base were unusual. However, he could not pinpoint the exact reasons.

Most of the personnel had a serious face, as if they were expecting an incoming storm. They were loading up important supplies hurriedly.

“Have you heard? The higher ups want us to evacuate the base. It seems like Hesla’s agents have found us.”

“They mentioned that the spy stationed at Crow Forest Town lost contact. I think a battle is going to happen soon.”

Han Xiao heard some voices as he turned a corner. A few armed guards were gathered together and having a discussion. They looked worried. As they saw Han Xiao, one of the guards shouted, “Hey Mandela, did you guys find anything from the search inside?”

Mandela was H223’s real name. He was a Caucasian. Han Xiao covered his skins fully with his uniform so that the rest would not get suspicious.

These few guards seemed to be acquainted with Mandela. “The sentry guards outside were all shot in the head by a sniper. We still haven’t uncovered the enemy. I bet it was done by the Hesla agents,” lied Han Xiao while innocently blinking.

The guards looked troubled. They were all armed personnel, so if the enemy were to strike, they had to be at the frontline to defend the base.

“I am so jealous of the non-military personnel. They get to evacuate the base first.” One of the guards was disgruntled with his circumstances.

Light flashed in Han Xiao’s eyes. Since they were up against an army from Hesla, it was predicted that the enemy was going to evacuate the base. Furthermore, this was only a supplemental base, not a main one; it was impossible for everyone to stay back and fight to their death.

However, evacuation was not an easy feat; too many people leaving at the same time risked leaving trails in the forest for the Hesla army to track. So, it was essential to leave some military personnel to stay behind and cover their tracks, while the officers and non-military personnel leave first with important supplies, which were more valuable than those armed guards. They would only get to leave after the more important personnel had evacuated safely.

The final Camp-Destroyer mission was to destroy the entire base, which included their personnel. If they only took hold of an empty base, the completion rating of the mission would be really low.

A thought suddenly occurred in Han Xiao’s mind. They already know Hesla is going to attack the base; they should have evacuated by now. Ye Fan’s team infiltrated the base last night, which was twenty-four hours ago. They should have had enough time to leave. This is strange.

A muscular-looking guy walked over and shouted, “What are you idling here for‽ Don’t you have things to carry‽”

The guards apologized in great trepidation. It was the captain of the base’s security team, Dormund, a buff Sharnuk.

A core member like him would definitely know the secrets about this base.

Dormund left after some reprimanding, and Han Xiao followed from a distance behind. After turning a few corners, Han Xiao was dumbfounded. He barely looked away for two seconds, and Dormund was already missing from his sight.

There was no one on the walkway, only a storage room.

Han Xiao walked over to the room and turned the knob. It was not locked.

He pushed the door open and walked inside. The room was about a hundred square meters, and it was filled with miscellaneous items, with no one else inside. The lamp was not switched on, and the light from the walkway shined through gap beneath the door.

Han Xiao knitted his brows as he suddenly realized something unusual.

The room was spotless, and the floor was clear of any footprints.

Normally, very few individuals would go into the storage room. Even five-star hotels would not send people to clean their storage unit like this, so it was impossible for the Germinal Organization to keep an ordinary storage room as immaculate as this.

There must be a secret door somewhere here. Otherwise, Dormund would not have disappeared so quickly. But Han Xiao could not locate the door.

What would be behind the secret door?

All of a sudden, Han Xiao pretended to cough while bending his back. He took this chance to take out the Spider from his pocket. He then threw it into the corner silently before leaving the room immediately. He took out his tablet in a spot that was hidden from the surveillance cameras, switched the Spider on, and stared at the storage room.

It took Han Xiao two hours of high intensity monitoring, during which he started to become quite weary, before that was some movement in the storage room.

One of the walls creaked open, and a secret metal door was shown. Two people, unarmed, walked out. They seemed to be technical staff.

There is my secret door.

As the two personnel left the room hurriedly, Han Xiao followed behind quietly. He suddenly sped up to bump onto the staff from the back. Three of them almost fell.

“Sorry. Sorry. I am really sorry about this,” Han Xiao apologized as he stabilized the two staff with his hands.

They did not make a fuss over it and left.

Han Xiao turned around to continue following them. However, this time round, he had gotten a white card. It was an access card from the pocket of one of the two staff.

His stealing skill had come in really handy.

This card had no noticeable difference from the ordinary identity card from the base. However, Han Xiao believed that the chip inside should be different; it should have access to the secret door.

He followed the two staff for a while and arrived at the side gate of the base. The two greeted the door guard and left through the gate.

All of a sudden, Han Xiao realized what was wrong with the base.

Atmosphere!

Although most people were worried sick over the incoming Hesla attack, a small group of personnel still held on to their posts without any anxiety. They seemed to have some backup plans and were as calm as the sea—greatly contrasting the first group of personnel.

Han Xiao squinted and soon arrived at a reasonable deduction. However, he still needed some evidence to confirm his thought. He went forth toward the side gate before the door guard stopped him.

“You are not allowed to enter or leave the base without a mission.”

Han Xiao took out the access card he had stolen and said, “I bumped into those two people just now, and they dropped this card. I want to return it to them before they walk away.”

The door guard nodded his head before allowing Han Xiao to go.

Han Xiao walked out of the gate and saw a forested valley; it was already past midnight. The two staff were few hundred meters away, so one could only see their tiny back view. He chased them up quickly.

The staff turned around as they heard footsteps coming from behind and looked guarded.

“You dropped your access card.”

As Han Xiao walked near, they realized that he was the colleague that they bumped into in the base beforehand. They let down their guard. One of the duo searched his pockets and exclaim, “Where did I drop the card‽ Thank you very much.”

“You don’t have to thank me. We are all comrades of the Germinal Organization, working hard to build a new tomorrow. This is just a part of my job.”

Han Xiao smiled as he walked closer to them.

“You are quite an interesting guy.”

The person laughed while he moved his hand over to grab the card. Han Xiao’s face instantly turned serious, and he launched his attack all of a sudden. His fist punched hard onto the person’s stomach, injuring the internal organs with its shear force. The person stared with astonishment, as his vomited. The other person almost screamed before Han Xiao quickly grabbed his neck to choke him. He them slammed his head onto the floor and slapped them as hard as could, knocking them out.

Han Xiao took off his belt to tie the two personnel. He dragged them behind him while taking a big detour to avoid all the sentry posts. As soon as he had moved far enough away from the base, he slapped the two awake.

They woke up with faces full of horror. “You…you are not from the base!”

Han Xiao took out his foldable machete and rubbed its blade. He was clearly threatening them. He said in an ice-cold voice, “I know the two of you know something that the ordinary members are kept in the dark about. You’d better tell me honestly now.”

They gulped in fear and stuttered, “We are just low-ranking members who do not know anything.”

“Low-ranking?” Han Xiao laughed before he moved his knife swiftly toward one man’s crotch.

“Ahhhh…”

The person screamed as if his soul was tearing apart, like a pig that was being butchered. But he suddenly realized he was not in pain. He looked down and saw the shiny blade had grazed past his inner thigh and cut into the soil beneath. It was only three centimeters from his genitalia. His crouch could feel the chill from the cold metal blade.

“I know that is a secret door in the storage room. Tell me everything you know, or I will make you the first eunuch in the Germinal Organization,” Han Xiao said in a murderous tone.

Although they did not know what a eunuch was, Han Xiao’s action was quite telling. They were badly shaken up immediately.

“How… how did you learn about the secret door‽”

“I am the one asking questions.” Han Xiao lifted his machete to brush his genitalia gently, as if he would just lop it off at any moment. He was so frightened that he almost peed his pants and… He really peed his pants? Damn… my machete!

The two staff looked crestfallen. Since the secret was out, there was no point in hiding. They spilled the intel as they trembled in fear.

After ten minutes…

Han Xiao’s brows were knitted tightly together.

“No wonder…”

[Reconnaissance 2 completed. You gained 8,000 EXP]

Dawn, at the secret base…

All the agents were busy packing their equipment as it was time for them to evacuate.

“Brother Xiao, Brother Xiao! Where are you?” Lin Yao slapped on the door of the truck’s container. He looked frustrated. He had been trying to find Han Xiao for the past fifteen minutes, but his efforts had been futile. The rest of the agents from Division 13 were running out of patience.

“He is not in the truck. Where could he possibly have gone?” Li Ya Lin was puzzled.

Everyone looked at one another and did not have a single clue.

Last night, Han Xiao had mentioned that he wanted to stay on the truck, but now, he was not there. What exactly did he do last night?

“What is your team’s plan?” Qi Bai Jia said to Zhang Wei’s team.

“We are going to stay back to wait for his return,” Zhang Wei replied.

“Is there a need to do so?” Di Su Su was rather surprised.

“Because the truck key is with him!” Zhang Wei was gnashing his teeth in great anger, and the vein on his forehead was about to pop at any moment.

Everyone was rendered speechless, not sure whether they were lucky or unlucky to have such a member on their team.

Qi Bai Jia was very displeased as he hated any unexpected changes during a mission. Just when he thought Han Xiao had a clear understanding of the big picture, he caused trouble like this.

I must be blind! Any team member who acts on their own accord without following any order is a rascal!

If something went haywire, Qi Bai Jia would have to assume the responsibility!

Han Xiao was such a jackass!

…

The Hesla agents stationed on the other side discovered Division 13’s unusual behavior, and they started discussing secretly.

“Some of the Division 13’s agents are intending to stay behind.”

“I thought we agreed to move together?” Ye Fan frowned. He went to find Qi Bai Jia to get an answer on this. After which, he came back and explained the reason to the Hesla agents.

“Who is the agent missing?”

“It was the agent that was wearing the mask; his name is Han Xiao.”

“It’s him.” Winna’s face suddenly tensed up, and said, “Last night, when we received the intel, Han Xiao rejected it without any supporting evidence, and then he was gone for the whole night without leaving a message. This seems quite suspicious. Is it possible that he is a… spy?”

All the Hesla agents startled.

“Be careful of your words.” Ye Fan frowned. He did not buy that deduction, but Han Xiao’s actions definitely aroused his suspicion. “We will report all the facts to the commanding officer when we get back to the army camp.”

….

After all the other agents left, Zhang Wei and the other three teammates stayed back at the base.

Lin Yao could not help asking, “Where did Han Xiao go and what is he going to do exactly?”

“How would I know? He did not say anything to me last night.” Li Ya Lin rolled her eyes.

Zhang Wei shook his head as he felt irritated; that guy had zero respect for his team leader!

…

The other agents arrived at the border several hours later.

Winna and Ye Fan went to report to Colonel Carl immediately.

“A Division 13 agent was missing for the entire night?” Colonel Carl walked back and forth, and his brows furrowed.

“Is this 100% true?” he asked.

Winna nodded. “He left last night without telling anyone, and it was right after we uncovered the intel about the Dark Crow Valley base.”

“Although it seems suspicious, this does not mean that he is a spy,” Ye Fan added.

Colonel Carl nodded slowly. “I will go and clarify this with Stardragon a while later. Now, tell me more about the intel.”

“The captive that we brought in passed our lie detector test, which means that everything he said was true. Furthermore, Ye Fan personally hacked their network to gather all this intel. We can guarantee its authenticity!” said Winna.

Colonel Carl’s eyes turned sharp as he said decisively, “Then let’s attack immediately before anything changes!”

Ye Fan was hesitant. “The Division 13 agents left at the secret base will be in danger if the army attacks now.”

“To achieve our strategic objective, it is reasonable to sacrifice one or two people from Stardragon. Since they are not from our country, we need not care so much.” Colonel Carl did not give it a second thought.

At the same time, after taking a long, indirect route, Han Xiao finally brought the two captives to where he had hidden his toolbox, bypassing all the detectors and sentry posts. The whole journey had been arduous and onerous; he was so tired by then that he almost wanted to puke blood. The captives were not wearing camouflage suits, so he’d had to spend hours to bypass the alert areas.

Fortunately, they were the technical staff in charge of the testing detectors and landmines, so they provided much valuable information. Otherwise, he would not have left without alerting anyone.

However, the captives had tried to lure him into a high-alert area to expose him once, but he’d realized immediately. He had punished them harshly before they cooperated fully with him.

The Sun was shining brightly above the sky. Han Xiao calculated the time and sighed. “Crap, I went beyond the stipulated time. I guess all the other agents have already left.”

He dug out his toolbox and took out his radio equipment to contact Zhang Wei.

“Hello. Hello. Yangtze River. Yangtze River. This is Yellow River. Please reply if you can hear me.”

“Yellow your head!” Zhang Wei’s fury could be heard through the earpiece. “Where exactly did you go? You were missing for the whole night, and all the other agents left. We could only stay at the base and wait for you!”

“That’s right. You’d better make up for this. I want new equipment!” Li Ya Lin chimed in on the radio channel. One could hear the annoyance in her voice and imagine her pouting; it was actually a little cute.

Han Xiao shook his head and started acting more seriously. “I infiltrated the Dark Crow Valley base and discovered top-classified intel!”

“Let me get Officer Qi for you,” Zhang Wei said with a look of solemnity.

…

Qi Bai Jia received the radio message at the border army camp.

“Zhang Wei, what are you calling me for? Is Han Xiao back?” he asked.

“He wants to speak with you.”

“He’d better cook up a good explanation for his actions.” Qi Bai Jia was clearly displeased.

After Han Xiao was connected to the channel, he said, “I just received the intel saying that the Dark Crow Valley base has two sectors: the outer sector and the inner sector. The outer sector is where all the low-ranking personnel work, while the inner sector is where the core members stationed themselves. The inner sector is hidden deeper in the mountainous valley, and the low-ranking personnel outside are not even aware of its existence. The information about the inner sector is classified for all the low-ranking personnel, and the path connecting the two sectors is always blocked…”

The two captives had told him that the base was divided into two sectors. The inner sector was hidden deeper in the mountains, where all the important supplies were stored. It was the real core of the base. The higher ups in the base did not tell the periphery personnel anything about the inner base. So, it was a secret to many of the Germinal Organization personnel. In their previous lives, the ‘real’ players did not even know the existence of the inner base.

The inner base had many evacuation routes. The core members could leave without leaving a trace. They were very cunning in the sense that each of these roads was classified. Nobody knew which path they would take before the actual evacuation was decided by the top leadership of the base.

Qi Bai Jia understood the importance of this information immediately. If Hesla did not know about the existence of the inner sector of the base and the army went ahead to attack the outer base, they would simply retreat when they took down the outer base, declaring it a military success. In that case, the core force of the enemy would be entirely unharmed, and the inner base would remain safe. The enemy could move back secretly in the future, ensuring that hideout was secure from the enemies.

Qi Bai Jia was dumbfounded. He could not believe that Han Xiao’s solo act could bear such critical intel!

“Cough, cough. Even though it was a move well played, I still have to emphasize that it is unacceptable to act on your own without any orders.

“Hold on for a while. I will report this to the commanding officer immediately!”

Qi Bai Jia was stopped by the deputy officer when he requested to meet Colonel Carl. He waited anxiously for five minutes before was allowed to go into the office. He realized Ye Fan and Winna were there too.

Colonel Carl looked at Qi Bai Jia and asked, “What do you have for me?”

“One of my team members just discovered some critical information that needs to be reported to you.”

“Han Xiao?”

“Yes.”

Qi Bai Jia nodded, but he did not realize that the other three started having a weird look.

Colonel Carl’s eyes flickered. “Speak.”

Han Xiao repeated what he said before, and at the end, he added, “If we attack brashly, we will only take down an empty shell. I hope we can pause the operation until our guys get hold of the enemy’s evacuation time, evacuation route, and the detailed structure of the inner base. By doing so, we can directly kill their evacuating troops and prevent a direct attack against their fortification. This will greatly reduce our casualties.”

Colonel Carl was expressionless after he heard everything.

“Where did you get this intel from?” he suddenly asked.

“I infiltrated the base by disguising my face, and I managed to capture two personnel from the inner base…”

All of a sudden, Colonel Carl yelled, “You are lying!”

To Colonel Carl, it was impossible for Han Xiao to infiltrate, even if he said he could disguise his face. It would take at least tens of minutes to make a legitimate face mask. During that time frame, Han Xiao would have faced all kinds of danger. At the same time, he could not predict which enemy he would encounter next, so it was impossible for him to make the face mask beforehand. So, it was an impossible situation that Han Xiao could never achieve.

Han Xiao was startled. He realized that these people did not know the capability of his Facial Simulator.

The function of the Facial Simulator was his trump card. He would not divulge such information. However, without exposing it, he could not explain the details of his infiltration.

“I have the capability to do so.” Han Xiao had to give an ambiguous answer.

“Unless you can demonstrate, there is no way we can believe you.”

Colonel Carl was still expressionless, but he was more untrusting of Han Xiao’s words.

This person… is really suspicious!

Han Xiao’s brows furrowed.

“Do you have any evidence to support your claim?” Qi Bai Jia quickly provided a solution as he trusted Han Xiao. However, Hesla had a different position. Both parties were mutually untrusting toward each other.

Han Xiao paused and said, “I have two captives with me. You can test them with a lie detector to confirm that I am not lying.”

Colonel Carl squinted. “Well then, you can bring them over.”

Qi Bai Jia heaved a sigh of relief. Although he was skeptical of how Han Xiao had managed to infiltrate the base, he chose to believe that Han Xiao had his own ways.

Fortunately, he had captives to prove to them that what he said was true.

However, after the radio connection was cut off, Colonel Carl told his deputy, “Order the troops to move out. Our target will be the Dark Crow Valley.”

Qi Bai Jia was stunned—it was the complete opposite of what was previously promised.

Colonel Carl was reluctant to explain his rationale. It would take Han Xiao a few hours to bring the so-called captives in, and if Han Xiao was to play tricks and delay further, the enemies from the Dark Crow Valley base might seize the opportunity to evacuate completely before his troops could reach the target. As the commanding officer, he would not simply alter his decision based on certain unverified intel.

He was more inclined to trust Ye Fan’s intel; it had witnesses, evidence, and originated from reliable sources.

Colonel Carl believed that he would not risk any damage for moving out earlier even if Han Xiao was right. Han Xiao could still bring the captives to him. The only difference was that the base would be on high alert earlier, and that would cause danger to Han Xiao’s team.

But, he didn’t care about the lives of a bunch of Stardragon agents. Even if they were killed, the Hesla top-level officers would not look into it. Someone from Hesla would naturally block the protests from Division 13.

Furthermore, Han Xiao had already provided the information about the inner base. Colonel Carl did not give a hoot whether or not Han Xiao could prove his story. He could verify this information himself after he took down the base.

“My men are still stationed near the base. Your rash attack will put them in great danger!” Qi Bai Jia was clearly enraged.

“Such a great opportunity may pass at any moment. We cannot risk a delay because of one or two agents. Since they are agents themselves, I am sure they can understand the bigger picture,” Carl replied calmly.

“Objection!”

Qi Bai Jia’s face was filled with anger.

“It’s not your place to disagree.” Carl pressed on an electric bell to summon a section of troopers; they pointed their rifles at Qi Bai Jia. “Send our ‘friends’ from Stardragon to the vehicles. We will move out together later. I do not want them to communicate with anyone else as that may leak our plan, so remove all of their communication devices.”

Carl emphasized the word ‘friends’ to stress his point.

Qi Bai Jia was so furious that his body started shaking vigorously.

“Sigh. How did things come to this stage?” Ye Fan was bereft of words. Han Xiao had suggested a conservative method, while Carl was more radical. Neither was wrong, but Carl was the commanding officer, and Han Xiao was only a subordinate. Furthermore, they were not from Hesla.

Winna watched coldly from the side.

….

After the connection was cut off, Han Xiao’s face blackened.

He had a hunch; Carl was a radical commanding officer, so he would most likely attack in advance.

This guy is eager for a quick success. Han Xiao was clearly irked. It seemed like he had to complete the mission by himself since time was running out.

However, he only knew about the existence of inner base but not the enemy’s evacuation route and time. He needed to infiltrate again to gather more information.

This time, Han Xiao did not plan to accomplish it himself. To achieve his plan, infiltrating alone was not the optimal option.

The best option for a partner was actually Lin Yao, a hacker that could be planted inside the base. Like a computer virus, he could cut the enemy’s communication network at the critical junctures, rendering them blind and deaf.

Therefore, he had to make two facial masks based on the two captives. There were molds and make-up tools in the truck storage. Thus, he could craft the masks in an hour or so.

Han Xiao forced his mind to focus and used his remaining energy to drag the two captives toward their secret base. He reached it in the afternoon, and his teammates came out to welcome him.

“Are you alright?” Lin Yao quickly came forward to support the exhausted Han Xiao.

Han Xiao shook his head and said, “There is not much time left. We need to make two facial masks based on the captives. Lin Yao and Lambert will use their identity cards to infiltrate the inner base. I will explain the details later.”

“Brother Xiao…Brother Xiao, I have no experience in spying. Can you give the job to another person? ” Lin Yao’s face turned pale due to the overwhelming fear.

“You are our only hacker, so it has got to be you.”

Lin Yao looked petrified.

“I will take the other slot.” Li Ya Lin volunteered herself.

Han Xiao peeked at her and shook his head without any hesitation.

“What are you trying imply? Are you looking down on me?” Li Ya Lin was infuriated.

“These things are too big, making them hard to conceal.” Han Xiao pointed at her breasts.

Li Ya Lin was speechless.

Lin Yao anxiously grabbed onto Han Xiao’s sleeve and said in a hopeful voice, “Brother Xiao, are you going in with me then?”

“Nah. I won’t. This mission is too dange… cough… too simple for me. It is not challenging enough for me!”

You definitely said something fishy there! Lin Yao and Li Ya Lin were screaming in their hearts.

“I shall do it then,” Zhang Wei said.

Han Xiao shook his head again. “No, you can’t. No one else can operate the armored suit. And, you are the team leader.”

” Oh , so you still know that I’m the team leader?” Zhang Wei gave a bitter smile. Ever since the appearance of Han Xiao, he had become a mere figurehead.

There was only one possible candidate left.

“It has been decided that it will be you!” Han Xiao pointed at Lambert.

“…” Lambert.

“Oh my god. I am definitely going to die.” Lin Yao was exasperated.

Lambert slapped the back of Lin Yao’s head with an expressionless look as he was unhappy with Lin Yao’s attitude at the decision; he made it seem so much worse than choosing Han Xiao.

…

One of the team members drove the truck closer toward Dark Crow Valley so that they didn’t need to walk so far, while the rest were busy putting on make-up to disguise the two unlucky souls. They parked the truck right outside the alert zone.

After more than an hour, Lambert and Lin Yao’s disguises were completed. They looked exactly like the two captives. After putting on micro-earphones, they held the access cards and entered the Dark Crow Valley base from the side gate.

“Brother Xiao, how concrete is this plan?” Lin Yao asked Han Xiao softly.

“If you dream of its success with sincerity, you will make it.”

Lin Yao felt a clot of blood stuck in his throat as he was made speechless by that answer. He turned to Lambert for more assurance.

“Are you not afraid?” Lin Yao asked Lambert in a quiet voice.

“To accomplish the mission, we must try even if there was only a slight possibility of success,” Lambert said calmly.

“Well said. You seem to be very dedicated to the mission.”

“…” Lambert.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the gate. Lin Yao was so nervous that his jaw was trembling.

“Will we get exposed?”

“The more nervous you appear, the easier it will be for you to be exposed.” Lambert patted Lin Yao’s shoulder and reassured him.

Lin Yao took out his access card after he had gathered his senses.

The security guards checked the access cards, and shortly after, they opened the gate for them.

They then walked to the storage room under Han Xiao’s instruction. They found the access card reader and successfully opened the secret door using the two captives’ access cards. A metal pathway appeared before them.

The pathway was long; it took them ten minutes to reach the inner base.

The defenses were much tighter in the inner base, and many computer screens were seen hung on the walls. The enemy personnel were busy moving supplies and data.

Lambert and Lin Yao looked each other in the eye.

Now, they were really deep inside the enemy’s base!

All of a sudden, a screeching alarm was heard in the base, and the lights turned red.

Lin Yao was scared to death as he thought that they had been discovered. Lambert frowned slightly and held onto Lin Yao.

“Calm down. The alarm was not triggered by us,” he said softly.

The personnel in the base were whispering to one another.

“What is happening?”

“Is the enemy invading us?”

Ji Jie walked out calmly and updated everyone, “Be quiet. Hesla’s border troops are advancing toward the base. The military personnel in the outer base have already set up the necessary defenses. They will be able to hold our enemy back long enough for us to get ready to evacuate.

Lin Yao’s expression changed, and he whispered anxiously over the radio, “You guys must leave now!”

As expected, Carl did not choose to wait; instead, he ordered the early deployment of his troops.

Zhang Wei violently slammed the tabled and screamed, “Damn it! It took Han Xiao so much effort to obtain the critical intelligence, but now this lot are going to leave us in the lurch!”

Such a scenario had been predicted by Han Xiao, and therefore, he looked rather calm. The rest were puzzled when they saw Han Xiao being so composed. Through the communication set, he ordered Lin Yao and Lambert, “You guys remain undercover. Always keep your safety at the front of your mind. We are going to retreat soon.”

“Copy that!”

There was an air of uneasiness around Zhang Wei and Li Ya. The truck was parked not far away from the Dark Crow Valley base, and once the base entered the battle mode, more enemy troopers would be deployed. The tracks of the truck would definitely be discovered quickly.

There was no time to waste.

“Li Ya Lin, you are in charge of driving the truck!”

Li Ya Lin was a pugilist, and she would not be able to launch attacks while they were driving anyway. Therefore, she did not disagree with Han Xiao’s decision.

Han Xiao and Zhang Wei stayed in the container, where they were able to carry out their strikes at the enemy.

Li Ya Lin stepped hard on the accelerator, making no effort to cover their tracks. The engine of the truck blared, and the tires started to spray the mud and soil from the ground. The truck moved forward loudly.

In a while, the sounds of approaching vehicles could be heard. The retreating party could feel the heavy beating of their hearts. Through the window, Han Xiao could see a large group of armored jeeps chasing behind their truck. The headlights of these jeeps could be seen flashing around the truck. There were more than ten jeeps around, and each had a heavy machine gun attached.

“We have been discovered.” Zhang Wei’s heart sank.

Han Xiao was not affected by the heavy rocking of the moving truck. He started preparing the weapons to be used for the impending battle.

“Drive fast, Ya Lin!” Zhang Wei yelled.

“I know!” Li Ya Lin replied, biting her lips. She was trying to change gear to speed up even more. The full power of the truck’s engine was unleashed, and it growled like an enraged beast. The anti-slip tires left deep marks in the moist ground. The uneven, hilly terrain and winding paths caused the truck’s body to spring away from its tires as a result of the shock absorbance effect created by the vehicle’s suspension. Even with the suspension working well, the truck rocked violently.

Han Xiao peeked out of the window in the container and saw the enemy’s jeeps closing in.

“Can’t you go faster?” Zhang Wei shouted.

“This is a truck, not a sports car!” Li Ya Lin was evidently irritated by Zhang Wei’s comments.

“The four buttons beside the gear lever can be used to activate the nitro boost,” Han Xiao said.

“You added nitro boost to the truck‽” Li Ya Lin was shocked yet excited to try it out.

“Do not activate the boost now. We are still travelling through dense vegetation, and you may destroy the truck with it. Use this to pick up more speed once we reach the plains!”

Da da da da…

The enemy troopers from the jeeps started firing their machine guns. Thick smoke emerged from the guns’ barrels. Countless enemy bullets were sprayed at them. However, the shots fired from further away were largely inaccurate. The firing encompassed a huge radius, and trees along the way were getting destroyed. Some bullets also managed to scrape the surface of the container, and sparks were created from friction.

Li Ya Lin glanced at the rear mirror, and the next moment, the rear mirror was destroyed by a bullet. She cursed in silence. The heavy truck was difficult to control; it rocked violently as she tried to evade the oncoming trees that were obstructing the path. She could feel the pain in her butt due to all the incessant vibrations of the vehicle. The contents of the truck were flying all around, and Han Xiao had to use locks to fasten the weapons and machinery in place.

The two prisoners were sitting at the corner of the container, trembling profusely.

The Sun was setting, and it looked as if the skies had been stained red with blood.

Dozens of armored jeeps were engaged in the intense pursuit of the fleeing truck. The enemy troopers were fast approaching, and bullets were fired everywhere; gunshots could be heard all over the forest. The blares of the engines sounded like the roars of a wild dragon. The Wanderers who were at Crow Forest Town could hear the sounds of battle and started to search for the source of the faint sounds.

Closer and closer… closer and closer!

Suddenly, a truck emerged from the forest and entered Crow Forest Town like an uncontrollable rhinoceros. It crashed into a building, which instantly crumbled under the huge impact. The shape of the crash barrier at the head of the truck became warped.

The truck sped past the streets.

The Wanderers on the streets were shocked and quickly searched for shelters to hide. Only after confirming that the truck had driven past did they come out of hiding. Many of them were confused and astonished. Before they could even calm down, the armored jeeps entered the town, driving recklessly. Many buildings were destroyed, and it was a complete mess.

It was raining bullets, and many Wanderers were shot by stray bullets. Screams of pain could be heard all around, and the ground was drenched with blood.

The final rays of light from the sun disappeared, and night fell. The truck was finally at the edge of the forest, and the obstacle-free plains appeared before it. The headlights from the armored jeeps illuminated the darkness like a Light Dragon.

There was no obstacle blocking the way on the plains, so it was easier for the armored jeeps to close the gap.

Nearer and near they came. Six hundred, five hundred, four hundred meters!

“Zhang Wei, change into your armor!”

Zhang Wei felt a surge of adrenaline. Even before the command, he had prepared for the moment of his ‘suit up’. Upon activating the armor, he noticed an immediate difference. The internal skeletal system provided power for all movements, and therefore, there was no need for his own strength to be used. His vision was also enhanced with the analysis interface. Chains of battle data flashed on the display. There was even an enhanced scope that offered greater shot accuracy.

Zhang Wei widened his eyes in disbelief.

“It is so powerful!”

Han Xiao loaded the high-explosive rounds into his sniper rifle and replied confidently, “This is only a simple modification.”

It was right to have spent the $36,000 on the suit.

Ding ding dang dang!

The clanging of the bullets that were crashing against armor became denser!

“Retaliate now!” Han Xiao growled, and following that, Zhang Wei kicked open the door of the container. He had a clear vision of what was in front of him. The head armor covered the fury in his eyes. He lifted the triple barrel machine gun and started firing.

“Tu tu tu tu––”

The high frequency gunshots created thunderous blasts. Thick ember emerged from the wild firing formed around the gun’s barrel. Shells were spat out of the gun and fell to the ground. The large, long bullets coupled with traces of ember were directed at the armored jeeps.

Boom! The bulletproof windows of two jeeps were shattered, and the passengers of the jeep were crushed.

Zhang Wei held two chains of bullets tightly. The chains extended all the way behind his back and led to a box. The box contained the ammunition that Han Xiao prepared; Zhang Wei had sufficient ammunition to spray to his heart’s content.

The dozens of armored jeeps dispersed from their formation to evade the shots from Zhang Xiao. The enemy troopers fired back using the machine guns mounted on the jeeps.

Zhang Wei was standing right at the opening of the container wearing his armor. The exterior of the suit was made up of the Platinum Alloy. Zhang Wei mounted the hexagonal shield before his body to shield himself from the bullets. Most of the bullets were blocked by the thick armor.

Han Xiao raised the sniper rifle and started firing the high-explosive rounds. The rounds set the jeeps aflame. The enemy drivers started panicking, and once the flames reached the jeeps’ engines, they were forced to stop.

However, more jeeps were approaching, and bullet holes could be seen on the external armor of the truck.

The distance was sufficient!

Han Xiao put aside his sniper rifle and grabbed the mechanical dragonfly explosives from the box. He threw them forward as if they were free of charge. The mechanical dragonflies glided close to the ground, and they were detonated once they reached the jeeps.

Boom!

The armored jeeps were overturned by the explosions, and the momentum from the blast resulted in the jeeps tumbling in midair before landing. Once the flames reached the fuel tanks of the jeeps, it resulted in a second explosion that caused more deaths.

The never-ending death toll started flashing on the tablet’s interface.

Every delayed explosion caused by the mechanical dragonfly could kill four to eight enemy troopers in the jeep. In addition to the kills, EXP was also awarded for the destruction of the vehicle. Therefore, every jeep destroyed generated 5,000 to 7,000 EXP for Han Xiao. The rewards motivated Han Xiao greatly, and he strove to cause greater damage with the explosives.

[Direct Conflict completed. You gained 35,000 EXP!]

“Ah!”

Hysterical screams were heard. Han Xiao turned back his head only to realize that the two enemy troopers who were held captive had been killed by the flying bullets. Instantly, Han Xiao’s heart sank.

“The prisoners are dead!”

The firepower coming from the jeep started to lessen; the enemy troopers were afraid of the attacking abilities of the truck

A single truck had managed to destroy twenty armored jeeps. It was definitely a scary fact for the enemies.

“I can see the military forces of Hesla!” Li Ya Lin screamed in excitement.

Han Xiao looked ahead and saw the army of vehicles operated by the Hesla military.

…

“Commander, there seem to be skirmishes ahead of us!’

Carl looked at the video feed on the operation vehicle and was thoroughly shocked.

More than twenty armored jeeps were chasing after the bullet-hole-riddled heavy-duty truck. He then saw the trail of overturned jeeps that had been set ablaze.

Carl was suspicious of the situation.

These agents from Division 13 really had a substantial and fierce firepower.

There were not many operation teams that had such strong fighting abilities that could rival with those of modern militaries. A smaller team enabled greater flexibility in operations. Usually, such operation teams were considered the best of their kind. He suppressed his initial shock. Following that, he squinted and started looking back and forth.

Winna and Ye Fan were also astonished by the sight before their eyes.

A single truck had managed to survive the attack of an army of armored jeeps. Also, it had managed to wipe out half of the total enemy count.

“It’s surprising that the truck can still move after withstanding a thousand shots!”

Even though the truck was almost wrecked, it could still travel freely like a wild dog on steroids. The truck had undergone some sort of modification. A grenade exploded on the armor of the truck, yet the explosion only caused minor change, barely denting the armor. In the same situation, a normal vehicle would have been blasted into multiple pieces.

What sort of metal was it made of‽

Too strong!

Even the agents for Division 13 were confused.

Since when did Zhang Wei’s team possess such powerful fighting capabilities?

Could a mechanic really elevate the firepower of a team so much?

The armored jeeps started to flee from the scene by turning in the opposite direction.

Carl’s eyes lit up, and he ordered, “Provide fire support and blast everything in the vicinity!”

Carl’s assistant understood the hidden agenda behind Carl’s order. He was shocked but still carried out the order. The area of attack was locked in.

The team of vehicles equipped with missile launchers moved forward, and in an instant, the rockets were launched.

The truck fell inside the radius of the missile strike!

The agents from Division 13 were sharp-eyed and figured out what Carl was trying to do. They were enraged and astonished.

The assistant officer explained, “Damn it, we miscalculated the radius of the attack.”

Such words were only sufficient to fool little kids. The agents from Division 13 were not convinced, and the enraged Qi Bai Jia shouted, “Carl, what do you think you are doing‽”

Carl did not reply. His face was expressionless, and his eyes were cold as ice.

Too bad! You guys do not belong to Hesla.

Li Ya Lin could clearly see the flaming exhaust of the rockets, which also signified the impending destruction their team was going to face. She screamed, “They want to send us up to heaven too!”

“Hesla’s commanders did it on purpose!” Zhang Wei was furious.

Even though tension was bound to occur during joint operations involving different countries, nobody expected the commanding officer from Hesla to make such a brutal move. Also, he could shirk off the responsibility by conveniently claiming that it was an accident.

Only radicals would result to such despicable measures—the killing of their allies and the neglecting of consequences!

The Germinal Organization was a common enemy of the Six Nations. All the parties agreed on counter-terrorism efforts. However, the different parties involved were not allies, and some even had conflicts with one another. The higher-ups of the nations were pretentious and hypocritical. They were also willing to sacrifice those beneath them to attain their goals.

Han Xiao focused and shouted, “Nitro boost!”

Li Ya Lin immediately pressed the button. Blue flames emerged from the exhaust of the truck. The acceleration of the truck was exponentially increased, charging forward like a wild rhinoceros. Li Ya Lin was pressed hard onto her seat by the surging momentum.

The rockets began to descend quickly. Three hundred, two hundred, one hundred, fifty meters.

Boom!

Finally, the blast arrived and created a wave of heat that resulted in a mushroom cloud of dust. The flaming smoke rose on the plains. At that instant, everyone lost their senses. The sound of the blast exceeded the audible range of the human ear. It was as if the whole world had fallen silent. All that was left was a rising glow, which illuminated the night sky.

Everything within the radius of the strike, regardless of vehicles or humans, had been demolished.

After three seconds, an incessant ringing became audible.

Rage and fury were written on the faces of the agents from Division 13.

Grief could be observed from the killer eyes of Di Su Su; a green flame was burning silently in her heart.

Whoosh!

The wind started howling.

The heavy-duty truck emerged out of the thick dark smoke. Only a small section of the container had been blown apart. Some of the machinery and accessories had been reduced to scrap metal.

“They are still alive!”

The agents from Division 13 were surprised. Li Ya Lin was not yet out of her state of shock. It had really just been a matter of a few meters. They were really lucky to have escaped the radius of the strike in time. If not for the nitro boost, all of them would have vanished into thin air.

Han Xiao coughed out the blood from his throat. He’d suffered from injuries due to the shockwave of the blast. Almost 200 HP had been lost due to the blast. The second blast had sent him crashing into the hard wall of the container, costing him another 50 HP. Han Xiao was still feeling giddy from the aftershock of the blast.

After the nitro boost, the engine was overheating, but it still managed move forward till it reached the Hesla soldiers.

After seeing countless bullet holes on the container, the soldiers of Hesla could feel the chills up their spines.

What a tough battle they’d had.

“What a pity. They managed to survive.” Carl frowned in disappointment.

After Han Xiao alighted from the truck, the agents from Division 13 started to crowd before him. Qi Bai Jia, who broke out into cold sweat, heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Han Xiao was alive and well.

Carl walked toward the agents.

Instantly, the agents from Division 13 glowered furiously at him. Zhang Wei, clad in his armor, gritted his teeth and moved toward Carl. The soldiers at the side immediately raised their weapon and pointed at the agents. The assistant officer bellowed, “What do you want? Back off!”

“I want an explanation!” Zhang Wei yelled.

Explanation? How childish.

Carl ignored Zhang Wei and glanced at Han Xiao. He asked flippantly, “Where are the captured enemies?”

“…Dead.”

Carl’s order to strike ahead of the stipulated time had caused immense danger for them. The two captured enemies had also been killed. More importantly, Carl had tried to kill them. It was obvious that he had done these things on purpose.

Han Xiao shut his eyes to conceal the ice-cold chill in them.

“No more evidence, I suppose?” Carl frowned with a look of discontent. His poor attitude angered the agents from Division 13 even more. However, they were rational enough to keep their cool as they were, ultimately, in a foreign land surrounded by soldiers from Hesla.

Qi Bai Jia could not contain his anger and lashed out, “Prepare to be questioned by Division 13!”

Carl couldn’t care less. Division 13 had no jurisdiction over him. Moreover, what happened just was an ‘accident’; there was no evidence to justify that he had done it on purpose. At most, he would be reprimanded by the foreign diplomats. He would not have to face any real punishment.

If he managed to destroy the Dark Crow Valley base, it would truly be a great achievement. With the help of his backers, he was highly likely to be promoted to the leading figure for the radicals in the government. No matter how Division 13 complained about him, the higher-ups in Hesla would be there to fend off these complaints.

Carl thought to himself. After which he pointed at Han Xiao and said, “Take him to the medic. Let them check his injuries.”

Han Xiao had no expression on his face. He followed the medic to the logistics vehicle. All his injuries were due to the shock on his soft body. With his endurance, he would recover quickly with a sufficient amount of rest. Therefore, he dismissed the medic.

The logistics vehicle started its engine. Hesla’s troops continued their advance.

Han Xiao shook his head, closed his eyes, and then proceeded to lie on his bed.

He had not slept since yesterday. Now was the right time for him to catch up on his sleep.

…

The sounds of gunshots could be heard. Han Xiao was a light sleeper, and he opened his eyes. He alighted from the vehicle and realized it was midnight, around 3 to 4 am.

At this point of time, Hesla’s troops had arrived at the border of the high-alert sectors of the Dark Crow Valley base. The six high-alert sectors comprised not only of sentry guards and patrolling troopers, there were also large defense mechanisms put in place like ramparts and guardhouses that were fortified with enemy troops. In the event of war, Hesla’s army would have to go past the six high-alert sectors before they closed in on the actual base itself.

Han Xiao, who was now with the logistics division, was far from the battlefront.

Han Xiao asked the two soldiers guarding by his side, “What’s the situation of the battlefront?”

One of the soldiers replied, “Everything is proceeding smoothly. Our troops have successfully reached the fourth sector.”

Han Xiao nodded, and just when he was about to proceed out, the two soldiers blocked his path.

“The Colonel wants you to rest and recover from your injuries here.”

Upon hearing that, Han Xiao realized that he had been intentionally imprisoned here by the Colonel. Han Xiao frowned and asked, “Where are my friends?”

“Your officer also tasked us to look after you and ensure that you have sufficient rest.”

Han Xiao understood the intentions of Qi Bai Jia. He did not want Han Xiao to risk his life anymore. Ultimately, Han Xiao had almost been killed by the flaming missiles. Qi Bai Jia wanted to keep Han Xiao away from the battlefront.

Such a move is better for my plan, Han Xiao thought.

Han Xiao turned his head and saw the truck being towed away. The escape mission had almost destroyed the entire truck. Without a full repair, the truck would surely be not usable.

Han Xiao’s eyes suddenly lit up before he proceeded toward the heavy-duty truck.

The two soldiers guarding him allowed him to do so. Han Xiao was free to go anywhere as long as he stayed away from the battlefront in the logistics zone.

He entered the container and discovered that all the important equipment was still around. Only the bodies of the two captured soldiers had been disposed of. Han Xiao took out the communication set from the box and adjusted it to Lin Yao’s frequency.

“Lin Yao, are you still alive?”

“Of course, I am, but don’t jinx it! ” Lin Yao’s unfriendly voice blared out from the earpiece.

“What’s the situation now?”

“We are preparing for the retreat. Apparently, according to the higher-ups in the base, the troops stationed around the base were all deployed to fight Hesla’s army. I have yet to discover their path of retreat. Seems like I’ll have to follow the order to locate the exact route. Oh, I also managed to find out the false information that Ye Fan collected. The defense mechanism and deployment between the third and sixth sectors were true. However, the first and second sectors were different. If Hesla’s troops attack according to the information Ye Fan provided, they are bound to suffer heavy losses.”

“Have you told them yet?”

“Nope, you are the first guy that contacted me.”

“That’s good. Don’t tell that to Hesla’s people.”

Lin Yao was confused and asked, “Why so?”

Han Xiao told him the series of events that had happened previously. Upon hearing the incident of the misfire of the missiles, Lin Yao’s blood started boiling with rage. “That is just too much!”

Carl revealed his intention to wipe out his allies, so it was no longer logical for Division 13 to continue assisting him in the operation and minimize his losses.

The intelligence that Han Xiao provided was all aimed at eliminating Pan Kuang and Ji Jie, who were high-value members of the Germinal Organization. Only the successful elimination of them would ensure the mission’s success. Carl treated them like they were merely tools. Now it was time for Han Xiao to reciprocate. They wanted his intelligence reports, and he wanted their troops. Both parties were merely using each other to their advantage.

As long as Hesla’s army accomplished the mission using his intelligence, he could not have cared less about the number of troops they lost.

What Han Xiao had not expected was Carl’s intention to kill them.

“It is time for a change of plan.”

Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled brightly.

Morning was always the best time of the day. Likewise, morning was also the best time to fight a battle.

The previous night, the Hesla troops had managed to clear the fourth high-alert sector. Carl had ordered his troops to rest for an hour before continuing their advancement at first light. They wanted to reach the base in one final attack.

As the sun rose, the Hesla troops were fighting the enemies at the third high-alert sector.

Boom, boom, boom!

The endless blasts were thunderous, and the enshrouded the battleground in smoke. The entire forest was wrecked by the hail of bullets and artillery strikes, the used shells of which were littered everywhere.

The soldiers from Hesla, coupled with the armored vehicles, managed to take down the defense mechanisms in place. One after another, fortresses, sentry-posts, and trenches were destroyed. The information Ye Fan had obtained was of great use. The enemy’s defense mechanisms were practically useless against the attacks. The troops managed to secure their objectives with minimal losses. The soldiers were elated because their victories had never been so comfortable before.

“Continue to advance. Let’s take down the two remaining high alert sectors in one shot!”

Carl was overwhelmed with excitement.

Once the confident troops entered the second high-alert sector, the favorable situation started to turn around.

Not long after stepping foot into the second high-alert sector, the Hesla troops faced their first enemy ambush. Two armored vehicles and dozens of soldiers were wiped out by well-hidden mines. And that was, in fact, just an appetizer. The Hesla soldiers were soon completely devastated. The death toll was rising steadily, and there were traps and ambushes everywhere.

Ye Fan’s intelligence was practically useless at this stage. Following the false information provided led to even greater losses. The various platoons were at a complete loss.

The intelligence about the first four high-alert selectors had allowed Hesla’s military to successfully penetrate deep and eventually enter the ambush zone that Ji Jie had marked out.

The casualties were increasing exponentially.

Carl experienced a mix of shock and fury.

The expression on Winna’s face changed. Indeed, the information they had obtained was only bait; Han Xiao’s predictions were right. They were indeed responsible for the huge losses.

Ye Fan shook his head and said, “The enemies are too cunning and ruthless. They were willing to sacrifice the lives of their own comrades to lure us in. It was almost impossible to see through their plot. Perhaps, that’s the advantage of being on the defensive side. The Germinal Organization is not afraid to go all out. However, such a measure is not feasible for our side. Carl’s moves were too radical; he should have listened to Han Xiao and been less brash with his deployments.”

He looked at his remorseful teammates and sighed.

At this point, Carl saw his soldiers falling one after another. He had an uncomfortable expression. What was supposed to be a smooth-sailing situation had flipped around. The ‘easy-win’ had reversed, becoming a complete disaster. Even if they managed to prevail in the battle, it was going to be a costly victory.

The Hesla troops, who were facing head-on defeats, were suffering heavy losses, and their advancement proceeded at a snail’s pace.

Suddenly, a grim-looking man who held a long machete in his hand emerged from the enemy side. He was surrounded by cold and transparent waves of energy that bore similarity to flames. The air beside him distorted as he dashed toward Hesla’s army. The soldiers immediately started firing their rifles, but the man span as he ran and speedily slashed his machete. The approaching bullets were disintegrated by the slashes and fell to the ground.

“Pugilist!”

While the soldiers were still in shock, the man barged into the crowd. Within seconds, the combo of powerful slashes from the shiny machete diced numerous Hesla soldiers into many bits. Blood sprayed everywhere, and broken limbs, heads, and torsos could be seen all over the ground.

The man stood with conviction amid the sea of red.

“Pan Kuang!”

The agents were all astonished.

Pan Kuang was the man in charge of the Dark Crow Valley base and the executive officer of the Germinal Organization. In addition, he had managed to kill many powerful individuals and had a glorious battle record on the Dark Net.

Based on his battle record on the Dark Net, Pan Kuang was highly adept with his machete. His fighting style originated from that of Rui Lan, and he was becoming known as the ‘Soul of the Blade’.

The light reflected by his shiny blade was usually the last thing his slain enemies saw.

The armored vehicle adjusted its position. Larger bullets were fired out from the re-adjusted barrel at Pan Kuang. Pan Kuang started leaping with unbelievably fast movements and dodged the incoming shots by ducking behind the trees. It was impossible for ordinary solider to accurately trace the position of Pan Kuang. More often than not, in the blink of an eye, Pan Kuang would disappear without any trace, and the fired shots would all miss.

Pan Kuang was able to move around the battleground with ease and without any substantial obstruction.

Like a life-claiming reaper, Pan Kuang slew one soldier after another. He even managed to slashed open a couple of heavily armored trucks and kill the soldiers inside the vehicles.

As long as there were shelters that offered protection against the bullets, a Superhuman could unleash his extensive power and cause immense damage. The energy he possessed protected his body, and ordinary gunpowder and bullets were unable to cause any significant harm.

A D-class Superhuman could battle a platoon on their own and escape with ease after the fight.

A C-class Superhuman had colossal strength and an iron body that could withstand the attacks of guns and canons. They could cause substantial damage on all terrains and could tear down a building with their bare hands easily. A C-class Superhuman was of the lowest-level in the galaxy. It also had the title of ‘Basic Cosmic Warrior’. Different planets in the galaxy had different gravitational fields and atmospheric conditions. A C-class Superhuman would be able to set foot on most planets. It was normal for certain species that lived in harsher galactic conditions to possess C-class Superhuman bodies from birth.

However, there were very few C-class Superhumans on Aquamarine. The Superhumans on this planet were low-ranked ones.

Pan Kuang’s Superhuman class was E+, one level away from becoming D-class. He was able to easily defeat groups of Hesla soldiers in the complicated forested terrain. A Superhuman possessed a powerful solo-fighting capability, and they would often swipe in to kill the highest-ranking commander of the troops or infiltrate the enemy to sabotage operations.

Soldiers in the way were being killed by the advancing Pan Kuang. It was obvious that Pan Kuang was travelling in the direction of Carl!

Carl had made it onto the radar of Pan Kuang’s killer instincts, which made Carl feel very uneasy. He had no sense of security even when he was protected tightly by his troops, so he immediately commanded, “Launch the thermo-tracing rockets!”

An armored vehicle equipped with missile launchers arrived, and multiple rockets that were locked onto Pan Kuang were fired.

Pan Kuang was circling the forest speedily, and the rockets crashed into the trees. The last rocket managed to go through the gaps between the tree trunks and headed for Pan Kuang.

With a tight frown, Pan Kuang halted in his steps. He scooped up some soil and held the machete with both of his hands. There was an invisible wave of energy surrounding the blade. He slashed the machete at the rocket.

The quick slash managed to hit the side of the rocket at the right time. The force from the strike changed the course of the rocket, and its path was altered. The rocket crashed into a large tree that was twenty meters away and burst into flames. Pan Kuang was slightly disorientated by the shockwave of the explosion. If Han Xiao were there, he would have seen that the damage was more than twenty health points.

After realizing that even the rockets were useless against Pan Kuang, Carl looked at his agents. Carl’s intention of deploying the agents to protect himself was clear.

“Let’s go!” Winna yelled, and Hesla’s agents moved forward together with her.

The agents from Division 13 were observing from one side. The joint operation no longer made sense after what Carl had done; therefore, they were not going to help.

After finding out that the agents from Hesla had entered the battle, Pan Kuang immediately sheathed his machete and retreated. He did not want to be held up by the agents.

Gunshots echoed through the forest as bullets were fired out of the agents’ guns.

The shiny blade slashed past. Light was reflected off the surface of the blade. A bullet fired at Pan Kuang was cut in half. Although Pan Kuang operated at a lower speed than the flying bullet, he had managed to anticipate the path of the bullet and position his machete at the perfect spot. His reflexes were rapid.

Pan Kuang remained expressionless as he turned away and disappeared into the forest.

In this attack, Pan Kuang had managed to kill hundreds of enemy soldiers and destroy a couple of armored vehicles. The morale of Hesla’s soldiers was at its lowest. They had suffered heavy casualties, and the initial fatigue accumulated from the attacks on the previous four sectors was beginning to take its toll. The situation forced Carl to slow down the attack even though he was unwilling to do so.

Ji Jie was observing the situation at the frontline from his monitor. The second high-alert sector was down, and Hesla’s troops were moving toward the final sector. Even if Hesla’s army suffered great losses, they still had an upper hand over the armed security guards of the base.

However, everything was under control.

After Pan Kuang returned, Ji Jie locked the doors leading to the base. Even if the enemy managed to take down the external base, they would be unable to locate the internal base. Furthermore, Ji Jie was also preparing to give a ‘big gift’ to the Hesla soldiers outside the internal base.

“Assistant Director, when are we going to retreat?”

“Now,” Ji Jie said.

The staff of the inner base gathered at the doorstep of the third secret passageway. Lin Yao and Lambert were furthest away from the rest. When nobody was looking, they would inform each other of critical intelligence. Strangers would think that they were just making casual conversation.

…

Boom!

The final fortress was blasted into pieces by the cannon of a mini-tank. The remaining armed guards only had one choice—retreat into the base.

All the defense lines crumbled, and Carl finally loosened up from the tension.

The final two sectors had cost seventy percent more losses than expected. Carl’s superiors would definitely be less impressed when they saw the battle report.

“The enemies are left with the final base, and they have nowhere to retreat to. Are we going to let the troops rest for a while?” the assistant officer asked.

Carl was sat in deep thought, and he suddenly remembered Han Xiao’s intelligence report. It mentioned that there was an inner base and also a secret escape passageway. Instantly, he felt that it was an opportunity for him to improve his battle record. He did not want to waste a single moment so as to reduce the enemies’ chance of escape. Therefore, he issued an order with conviction.

“Start the attack immediately. Remember to search thoroughly in the facility, especially the storerooms. There must be some hidden door somewhere that can lead us to the enemy’s inner base.”

The order was confirmed, and the soldiers who had still not yet recovered from the shock of the previous battle regained their spirits and entered the base to wipe out the remaining enemies. The base was very small, and the fighting took place in the narrow alleys. Endless gunshots could be heard throughout the drawn-out battle.

“We found the storeroom, but no hidden doors can be seen. There are only solid concrete walls. We also tested our explosives on the walls.”

“Maybe there is something wrong with the intelligence report?” Carl frowned hard. He summoned his assistant and said, “Bring the agents from Division 13 here. Also, get me Han Xiao. I want to ask them about the intelligence report they submitted.”

While the battle at the frontlines was still ongoing, Han Xiao, who was at the logistics zone away from the battlefront, was observing the situation attentively.

Han Xiao had seen many high-level battles that involved the destruction of entire planets in the game. Compared to those battles, the current one, a low-level battle fought on the ground, gave Han Xiao a greater adrenaline rush. The sound of gunshots and scent of gunpowder gave a better display of the brutality and the atmosphere of war compared to those battles Han Xiao had previously witnessed, which had only involved silent energy beams and plasma canons.

Han Xiao sat in the container of the truck, while the two sentry guards were still guarding the vehicle tightly. They were highly suspicious that Han Xiao was intending to escape.

Lin Yao’s voice could be heard from Han Xiao’s earpiece.

“Brother Xiao, we are going to retreat together with the core team of the enemy. I have planted the virus in their system, so we can now jam their communications any time.”

“Good job.”

“Oh, Uncle Lambert made a new discovery. The internal structure of the base is very strong, and it is probably explosion-proof.”

Han Xiao frowned, and after piecing together the bits of information, he suddenly realized that the external base was disguised as the bait, or more accurately, a graveyard. There were probably heaps of explosives hidden, and once the invaders stepped into it, the explosives would be triggered to kill all of them. Also, the explosions would be strong enough to demolish the external base and bury everything in it, thereby making the internal base more discrete.”

“What an ingenious plan.” Han Xiao sighed. Even if he were to report the situation now, it would be too late. Also, Han Xiao did not have any intention of doing so.

He had finally reached the final stage of his plan.

Han Xiao rose up and began to pack his belongings. He transferred all the accessories and important mechanical components from the container into his bag. The bag was completely filled. Han Xiao then said to the two sentry guards, “Could you guys help me carry some of these items? They are pretty heavy.”

The two troops went up the truck unknowingly to help Han Xiao carry his bag.

The moment they bent their bodies, Han Xiao took action. With two solid punches to the necks of the soldiers, both of them collapsed to the ground without making a sound.

Han Xiao closed the door of the container, and he secretly changed into the trooper’s attire and removed the mask he was wearing. After which, he activated the mask and used it to change his appearance. He carried the bag and walked out confidently. He was able to blend into the logistics team without anyone noticing.

…

Carl’s assistant soon rushed back.

“Everyone from Division 13, except for Han Xiao, was present,” he said.

Carl was shocked. “He disappeared‽”

“The two sentry guards that were supposed to look after him were found unconscious. I asked the logistics team, and nobody saw Han Xiao around.”

Carl wanted to continue the conversation, but there a thunderous boom in the air, which made him jump up on reflex. He immediately started scouting for the source of the sound.

The mountain was moving, and it was as if an earthquake had struck. Everyone was terrified!

The Dark Crow Valley base had detonated!

The entire base crumbled, and the main entrance was completed sealed by the falling rocks. Hundreds of elite soldiers were buried!

The turn of events obviously infuriated Carl.

The troops had fallen into the enemy’s trap just as victory was in sight. Countless lives were claimed, and the base was also destroyed. This greatly depreciated the value of the victory.

Carl knew that, as the commander of the forces, he would face a lot of backlash.

Carl had a gloomy look, and he thought of Han Xiao’s advice. If he had heeded the advice, he could have prevented the heavy losses. But even if he had the opportunity to choose again, Carl felt that he would still make the same choice. He was completely frustrated and vented that frustration on the wall of the commander’s vehicle.

The army had suffered heavy losses, and Carl could feel the pain in his heart. He then gave several orders to raise the morale of the dejected troops.

After the agents from Division 13 arrived, Carl said with a gloomy face, “Your teammate disappeared. What is going on exactly?”

“Han Xiao vanished again‽” One could clearly see the change in expression on the agents’ faces.

Why the word ‘again’?

Qi Bai Jia felt a blank in his mind.

Goddammit, Han Xiao always did such things.

Zhang Wei and Li Ya Lin were very calm. It was as if they had gotten used to it.

It was really the norm for Han Xiao to carry out tasks at his own will without seeking any approval. One just had to get used to it. He was probably on his way to create some new trouble.

“If Han Xiao did not obtain the critical intelligence, you would have foolishly thought that you have successfully destroyed the base, when in actual fact, you have only managed to destroy the outer region. You would not even be aware that the enemies have escaped!”

Carl pondered, and indeed, he would have thought that his operation was a complete success, and if the Dark Crow Valley base managed to reinstate itself in the future, he would the first to be held responsible.

“What other information can you guys offer?” Carl asked anxiously.

Zhang Wei, who was trying hard to suppress his detest for Carl, bellowed, “Two of our companions retreated together with the enemy. Once they confirm the enemy’s path of retreat, they will send it to us.”

Carl’s eyes lit up and said immediately, “Inform me as soon as you receive any news.”

He had not expected that Han Xiao would accomplish so much in his operation. His troops had suffered way too many losses in the previous battle, so he needed to atone for his mistakes by successfully eliminating the core of the enemy’s retreating force.

…

There was a region away from everyone’s attention at the outskirts ten kilometers away from the Dark Crow Valley base. Pan Kuang, Ji Jie, and over two hundred core members were exiting the secret passageway via their vehicles. The vehicles carried huge amounts of logistical items and also contained precious information about the base.

“I suppose Hesla think that they have won the battle?” Ji Jie let out uncontrollable laughter.

Pan Kuang looked and him and said, “Don’t let your guard down.”

Ji Jie nodded and ordered the teams to advance faster.

They needed to travel for another two hours to reach a secret hangar that housed several Black Harrier helicopters and a small cargo-plane.

Lin Yao and Lambert received Zhang Wei’s orders from their earpieces. They looked at each other and knew it was time for them to strike.

Lin Yao took out a tablet and activated the dormant virus planted in the enemy communication network.

Sheela!

Everyone was shocked by the piercing shrieks in their earpieces. They immediately removed them from their ears.

Ji Jie was disgruntled. Just as he was about the order the vehicle-fleet to stop and inspect on the communication set, he heard a series of engine-hums approaching from all directions.

“Prone!” Pan Kuang expression immediately changed. He pushed Ji Jie, who had yet to react, to the ground. After Pan Kuang completed these actions, there was a wave of gunshots.

Bullets rained on the fleet from all directions. The exploding grenades overturned the vehicles of the fleet. Flames and glaring light could be seen.

Lambert dragged Lin Yao off the vehicle. They rolled toward the vegetation at the side to avoid the direct attack.

Ji Jie could not believe that his trap had been discovered by the invaders. Who had leaked the information?

“Run!”

There was no time for any disappointment. Ji Jie was dragged toward the forest swiftly by Pan Kuang.

…

Carl, who was commanding his troops from the forest, felt a great sense of excitement. His troops had encircled the core of the retreating enemy, and he knew it was a golden opportunity for him to turn things around.

A distance away, Han Xiao, who had changed his appearance, was driving the jeep alone. He held a thermo-sensor in his hand and was searching the battle zone. He quickly discovered his targets: Pan Kuang and Ji Jie, who had managed to escape the heavy encirclements. Troops who managed to catch up with Pan Kuang were mercilessly destroyed by his powerful fighting abilities.

Han Xiao was tailing both of them from a hundred meters away with the help of with his thermo-sensor.

“A jeep is approaching.” Pan Kuang looked behind. He could barely see the jeep that was following them in the dense forest, and the faint sound of the jeep’s engine could be heard.

Pan Kuang wanted to destroy the jeep. However, every time his distance from the jeep shortened, Han Xiao would change course and increase the distance between them again. The jeep was just like an irritant.

Pan Kuang thought Han Xiao was operating a reconnaissance jeep that reported their location back to the enemy. Also, they expected the entire army to be following them, and therefore, they were afraid to stop moving. Pan Kuang, who was dragging Ji Jie in his escape, could feel the quick depletion of his energy.

“We just need to reach the hangar. The helicopter will help us with the escape.” Pan Kuang knew that was his only way to escape. Although Pan Kuang was a Superhuman himself, his fear of being surrounded by a gargantuan enemy force prompted him to increase his speed. He failed to realize that Ji Jie was deeply fatigued.

After chasing for about twenty minutes, both parties were far from the frontline.

“The time is right.” Han Xiao could feel a sense of determination. He changed his course and went in front of his targets with the help of a map he had stolen from the logistics department. The jeep travelled at a very high speed, and Han Xiao drove up a ten-meter high cliff that was two kilometers away, which his targets were sure to pass by. The engine stopped, and Han Xiao took out all his gear.

He slotted his left arm into the modified light-weight mechanical arm and attached the box housing the magnetically-controlled retractable armor to his waist. He stuck his Berserk Eagle into its case and then buried ten delayed-explosion explosives in the shape of a circle with a radius of five meters. A thin thread was lined through the safety rings of the delayed-explosion explosives, so a slight pull would activate them all.

Han Xiao grabbed a sniper rifle he had sourced from the logistics team and lay prone on a rock. He had a clear view of the valley and aimed his rifle in the direction his targets were expected to arrive in. He held his breath and focused hard.

…

Ji Jie was panting heavily. His face was all pale from the running. He was not a Superhuman, so he had limited stamina. If it wasn’t for Pan Kuang, he would have collapsed long ago.

Pan Kuang shouted emotionlessly, “Don’t stop, the enemy could approach at any moment. We need to reach the hangar as soon as possible.”

The two of them came out of the forest quickly. The mountains lay ahead of them.

Ji Jie felt his legs wobble before he fell to the ground. Breathlessly, he said, “I can’t run anymore.”

Pan Kuang frowned. He was slightly irritated, but he knew he could not leave Ji Jie behind. Ji Jie’s sister was the in-charge of the entire intelligence network of the Germinal Organization.

“Carry me on your back, it is…”

Ji Jie was halfway through his sentence when a gun shot rang in the air.

Pan Kuang reacted quickly and ducked backwards.

However, he was not the target of the shot.

Ji Jie’s head was thrust backwards as if a punch had been thrown at him. There was a bloody hole on his left cheek. The hole was so big that it allowed the bullet to tumble in Ji Jie’s skull, crushing his left cheek. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. Ji Jie’s expression froze as he collapsed to the ground. He showed no signs of life anymore.

[Assassination 2 completed. 100% of energy expended. You gained 4,000 EXP!]

Pan Kuang’s pupils constricted. He drew out his machete and dashed toward the source of the shot.

Pan Kuang was closing in! Han Xiao spammed the trigger of the rifle. Chains of bullets skipped out of the barrel and pierced through the air, heading in the direction of the target. It was as if Pan Kuang had the danger-sensing ability of a beast. He always changed his position before Han Xiao fired the shots. Han Xiao fired a total of thirteen shots, and Pan Kuang dodged nine of them. The remaining four bullets lost their momentum after hitting the blade. The bullets were reflected by Pan Kuang’s protective energy, and their total damage was merely 80 HP.

A high class Superhuman would have a stronger defensive capability. Ordinary weapons and ammunition were useless against Pan Kuang.

The firepower of an ordinary weapon from a place indicated the general level of civilization of that place. With the opening up of higher versions and more maps, the upgrading of the ordinary weapons would follow. However, it was evident that such a day had yet come.

The distance between Pan Kuang and Han Xiao was shrinking rapid, and Han Xiao could see the deathly chill in Pan Kuang’s eyes.

“Damn it, he’s quick.”

Han Xiao cursed softly and threw his rifle to the side. He tugged the thread in his hands and activated the delayed-explosion explosives then pretended fleeing.

Pan Kuang was much faster and went up the cliff in a few steps. He stepped into the ambush circle and sensed something was off. His face changed, and he leapt into the air. His shiny blade was spinning beneath his torso. It was as if he was riding a hurricane, pushing him up the skies.

BOOM!

The ten explosives detonated together, and Pan Kuang was engulfed by the flames!

_____________________

Your delayed-explosion explosives dealt a damage of 34 HP to Pan Kuang.

(Damage protection is taken into account.)

Your delayed-explosion explosives dealt a damage of 37 HP to Pan Kuang.

Pan Kuang is slightly torched!

…

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Ten messages appeared on the interface, and after a quick glance, Han Xiao confirmed that the series of explosions had dealt more than 400 HP damage to Pan Kuang.

_____________________

Due to your level, you gained some information about the enemy!

Name: Pan Kuang

Level: 38

Class: [Agent] LV10, [Amateur Pugilist] LV10, [Stormblader] LV10, ??

Attributes: 65 Strength, ?? Dexterity, ?? Endurance, ?? Intelligence, ?? MYS, 8 Charisma, 7 Luck

HP: ??

Energy: ??

Energy Rank: 687

Grade: E+

Specialties:

– Amateur Blade-Wielding Technique: +10 attack points when using blades or machetes.

– Soul of the Windy Blade: “The blade is the extension of our limbs; listen closely to the breath of the wind.” ??

– ?? …

Skills: [Defensive Blade of the Wind] Lv.6, [Wind-Gliding Steps] Lv.4, ??, ?? …

Equipment:

Wind-Slicing Blade

– Grade: Green

– Damage: 44-47

– Length: 0.87 meters

– Weight: 10.2 pounds

– Description: An alloy blade manufactured by a master blacksmith, very strong.

– Additional effects: Windy Breath: smooth texture, +3% attack speed. Strong Edges: sharp blade, +3% additional damage to metallic objects.

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There was a huge difference in level. Also, much of the information was unknown. However, Han Xiao was not completely reliant on hard statistics. From the performance of Pan Kuang, it was evident that he had high attacking power and agility, and his weak side would be his limited health. It was certain that the explosion had taken away 20% of Pan Kuang’s initial health. Furthermore, Pan Kuang had faced tough battles previously and spent an hour on the run from his enemies; therefore, he was not in his best condition for a fight.

I have a higher probability of winning!

Han Xiao looked at the experience that he had accumulated on the interface, and it was as high as 520,000 points. He channeled all the experience points into raising his levels! Like a rocket, Han Xiao rapidly gained four levels.

His HP was raised to 985, almost exceeding 1,000!

He had practiced the Energy Training Technique 48 times, and his energy had managed to hit 390 points. He just needed a little more to gain four continuous level-ups and raise his energy to 540 points, which exceeded the Lv.5 benchmark of 400 points. That would allow for new increases in all his other attributes. His strength, endurance, agility, and intelligence were increased by approximately 10% each.

The rest of the experience points were channeled into [Continuous Gliding Shots].

_____________________

Level 2: a slight increase in the effect of the ability.

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Woosh!

Pan Kuang emerged from the flames, and he was charred from head to toe. He looked battered, and his eyes were locked on to Han Xiao like an exasperated wolf. He growled and shifted his feet as if he was gliding. In the blink of an eye, he slashed his blade with fury in an attempt to disintegrate the scoundrel who had ambushed him!

The light from the blade flashed, and Han Xiao retreated three steps. Han Xiao’s speed shocked Pan Kuang.

Han Xiao dodged the slashes from Pan Kuang and took out his Berserk Eagles. With his increased attack-speed, he fired the pistols. The bullets, which had ferrous cores, went straight toward Pan Kuang’s chest.

Pan Kuang moved his machete back and forth, and the bullets were slashed apart. Only one bullet managed to hit his chest, but Pan Kuang’s immense energy lowered the bullet’s momentum. The bullet was stuck between his muscles.

Han Xiao realized that ordinary bullets were of little use. He immediately switched the magazine for high-explosive rounds.

Pan Kuang made use of this moment to approach closer.

“How dare you switch magazines right before my eyes! Are you tired of living?”

Changing magazine in front of a Pugilist was a sign of insufficient battle experience! Pan Kuang, with a sinister look on his face, slashed toward Han Xiao’s throat. He tried to pierce through Han Xiao’s neck as if it just was a piece of meat on the skewer.

Pan Kuang could tell that Han Xiao could not dodge his hack!

“Ding ––”

The edge of the blade managed to touch Han Xiao’s throat, but it was blocked by metallic scales!

Pan Kuang’s pupils constricted. When did this armor appear‽

Han Xiao felt a little suffocated. Although the magnetically-controlled retractable armor could withstand the shock, there was still some leftover force that landed on his body. He raised the pistol and started firing continuously. Pan Kuang blocked the bullets with his blade again. This time, the high explosive rounds detonated the moment the blade touched its tip, and the flames enshrouded Pan Kuang’s body and burnt him.

What the hell is this bullet? Pan Kuang’s heart skipped a beat. He channeled his energy to shake off the flames but to no avail. The orange flames could not be shaken off, and his skin burned harshly. He could only retract his energy to protect his body. That resulted in a huge amount of energy being expended.

The high-explosive rounds were highly adhesive. Therefore, they were able to cause substantial, continuous damage. Pan Kuang had a high defense, so his HP was falling at a very slow rate. However, using the high-explosive rounds was still more effective than normal rounds. At least, the former was causing a decrease in Pan Kuang’s HP.

The Berserk Eagles were spitting out rounds from slanted positions. When there was a final bullet left, Han Xiao used it to initiate the continuous gliding shots. At that point in time, Pan Kuang’s clothing was burnt completely, and his hair also started burning. The price Han Xiao had to pay was the endurance of the magnetic armor, which fell after the relentless, powerful slashes by Pan Kuang.

Han Xiao focused hard. At the cost of taking another powerful blow, he put away the Berserk Eagles and took out the retractable machete. He held the machete in his right hand and the mechanical arm in his left. It was as if a barbarian had taken over his body; he had the courage of a beast that was unafraid of death. He was ready to give Pan Kuang a hard fight, which was also likely to be a bloody one.

The three items that Han Xiao was equipped with could all be used as shields, and in comparison, Pan Kuang was heavily disadvantaged since he could only use his body to defend Han Xiao’s strikes.

However, in reality, Pan Kuang was steadily gaining ground. For most of the time, Han Xiao could only make a strike at Pan Kuang after receiving seven slashes. The fighting abilities of the two individuals were too far apart. Pan Kuang was a legitimate pugilist, and his fighting technique was stronger than that of Han Xiao by leaps and bounds. Han Xiao’s close-range combat technique was considered a joke by Pan Kuang. If not for the gear he was equipped with, Pan Kuang would be unscathed by Han Xiao’s attacks.

“You want to fight me up close? Don’t you think that you are courting death?” Pan Kuang could not understand how Han Xiao had the courage to challenge a pugilist in close-quarters. In his mind, he considered such an act to be extremely arrogant. Han Xiao was challenging Pan Kuang’s greatest strength with his greatest weakness.

A slash toward Han Xiao’s face resulted in a deep cut that bled profusely.

Han Xiao had taken off his mask before the battle as he had been afraid that it would be destroyed in the battle. He revealed his genuine appearance, and Pan Kuang recognized him. Han Xiao was the traitor that escaped from the organization not long ago—Zero.

Why did Number Zero attack him here? Pan Kuang did not know, and he did not care. He only knew that the man before him was an enemy, and all Pan Kuang wanted to do was to hack him to death!

The force from the slashes shocked Han Xiao’s body a few times. His HP decreased, but he remained calm.

The reason he dared to fight Pan Kuang close up was because he had faith in himself. The previous shots, explosions, and strikes had managed to lower Pan Kuang’s HP by 700 to 800 points.

Under the protection of the magnetically-controlled retractable armor, his HP only fell by 300 points. The armor managed to prevent a total damage of at least 150 points of HP.

The armor was not even meant to be worn by Han Xiao at his current level. The armor had a defense of 75 points. It was strong and useful even until higher levels of 40-50. Han Xiao depended greatly on the armor!

With the armor, he had the ability to fight opponents of much higher levels!

Han Xiao locked his hand and grabbed hard on Pan Kuang blade-wielding hand. Pan Kuang was not afraid. He twisted his arm flexibly and broke free; at the same time, he gave Han Xiao another slash, which landed on the lightweight mechanical arm. If not for the platinum alloy, the mechanical arm would have long disintegrated into pieces and shards.

Han Xiao attentively discovered that Pan Kuang had a brief moment after every strike when he slowed down. Pan Kuang was instinctively trying to conserve his energy.

He is starting to feel tired. He used up too much of his energy and lost his additional attributes. He is no longer sharp!

Han Xiao eyes started flashing, and his sharp acumen allowed him to discover Pan Kuang weakness; the moment that he was waiting for had arrived. He selected an option on his interface.

A new character—Norsa Connor!

_____________________

The summon card for character has been used. 1/1 card used. The card has been exhausted and will disappear.

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Pan Kuang saw a faint shadow at Han Xiao’s back. An eerie-eyed individual appeared in rainbow-colored mist. Pan Kuang felt that the individual looked familiar.

Who is that?

He looks like… Norsa! Isn’t Norsa long dead‽

What’s going on‽

Pan Kuang was alarmed and wanted to move back, but it was all too late. He succumbed to the illusion and was paralyzed.

_____________________

Scanning…

The scan is complete.

The target has an Intelligence of less than 50. The illusion is successful.

Pan Kuang was a Lv.38 Pugilist with high agility and attack power. Therefore, it was almost impossible for his intelligence to exceed 50. If Han Xiao was really that unlucky and Pan Kuang did have higher than expected intelligence, Han Xiao would have had choice but to resign to his fate.

The illusion confused Pan Kuang, who was totally unprepared for it. All the attacks from the illusion could deal real damage to Pan Kuang, but ultimately, Pan Kuang had a relatively high level, so he would not be defeated if Han Xiao relied on the illusion alone.

Without hesitation, Han Xiao’s lightweight mechanical arm headed for Pan Kuang crotch, which housed his most vulnerable body part!

“Mega-load!”

The power of the mechanical increased by 30% instantly, and the punch landed right on the target.

Pan Kuang’s wiener exploded!

Han Xiao had learned this move after observing a series of tapes. He had derived this legendary move from “The Faraway Home of the Warrior – The Third Twilight”. Once the move was activated, even the skies would tremble.

Han Xiao had no time to look at the messages on the interface. He needed to make use of the period when Pan Kuang was distracted by the illusion to deal as much damage as he could.

Han Xiao immediately activated the pressure compressor in the palm of the mechanical arm. His palm went through a sudden vibration, and a shockwave was sent out. Blood seeped out of Pan Kuang skin, and a blood red triangle could be seen on Pan Kuang’s crouch.

Of course, Han Xiao’s right hand was also put to use. Using the machete held in his right hand, Han Xiao stabbed hard into Pan Kuang’s chest without any hesitation. Pan Kuang was still affected by the illusion, and thus, the protective energy shielding his body was non-existent. The stab successfully pierced through Pan Kuang.

Han Xiao then reached out for his Berserk Eagles and stuck the barrels of the pistols right where Pan Kuang’s heart was. He used his wind-gliding steps to drag Pan Kuang backwards together with him. Han Xiao fired the shots continuously, and all the bullets went into Pan Kuang’s body.

Blood spurted out. There was a burning sound of the scorching ember sizzling human flesh.

Ka, Ka, Ka––

All the bullets in the magazine were expended, and Pan Kuang was finally awake. The sharp pain sent Pan Kuang into thunderous fury, and his face twisted in agony. He slashed hard at Han Xiao’s abdomen.

It seemed Pan Kuang wanted an eye for an eye.

Han Xiao used his energy to control the magnetic retractable armor to shield himself from the strike. Although he was protected, the shock from the strike still made Han Xiao pale. He could sense a chilly wave of energy going all the way up to his forehead via his spine.

Enduring the pain, Han Xiao expanded the reach of the mechanical arm to press hard onto Pan Kuang’s head. Pan Kuang was hurled to the ground back and forth. The back of Pan Kuang’s head, after coming into contact with the ground so many times, started bleeding profusely, forming a puddle of blood on the ground. Coupled with growls of agony, Pan Kuang was desperately trying to retaliate by slashing his machete hysterically. The slashes landed on Han Xiao’s armor, and his HP was steadily decreasing.

“The crack of a hundred winds!” Pan Kuang yelled manically before his blade suddenly let out a blinding glare.

Han Xiao was alarmed and moved backward immediately. At this of time, explosions of light emerged from the Wind-slicing Blade. They surrounded Pan Kuang like a tornado. Countless slash marks could be seen on the surrounding ground. Han Xiao suffered a head-on attack, and his armor was losing endurance. This move had a damage-radius that was too large for the armor to offer complete protection. Every part not protected by the armor turned bloody. There was a series of damage inflicted on Han Xiao, and each amounted to 40 points.

The light from blade continued to glare for about three seconds before disappearing. Han Xiao retreated about ten meters. He took a deep breath. Droplets containing blood and sweat were dripping down as he stared at Pan Kuang. The previous attack must have consumed much of Pan Kuang’s energy. Also, the cool down period for the move was definitely long; therefore, Pan Kuang would not be able to use it anytime soon!

Pan Kuang supported his body using the blade and stood up. He looked ghastly, and his lower body was in a bloody mess. There were charred bullet marks in his chest, and the ember was still scorching his body, giving out a smell of burnt charcoal. The burning and bleeding were dealing him continuous damage, and one could not imagine how his damaged body looked from the inside. The retractable machete was still stuck in his chest. His face looked even more horrifying. His nose had broken and was dented inward, and his skull was exposed from the back of his head. He looked like a savage ghost.

A savage ghost!

The savage ghost stared hard at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao looked alarmed. He was prepared to use all his additional points to increase his endurance. That was another trump card he held.

The howling wind brought the sand along while, at the same time, seemingly bringing away the murderous atmosphere.

Pan Kuang’s head drooped down, and he stopped breathing.

The final sign of life was decimated by the scorching burn. Pan Kuang was like a camel that was knocked to the ground by a piece of grass.

_____________________

You killed Pan Kuang (Lv 38), 21,000 EXP gained.

The enemy killed was ten levels above you. You gained an additional 280% experience worth 58,800 points. Your individual contribution rate was 99%.

You gained an additional 58,212 (99%) points of EXP.

[Assassination III] completed. Contribution rate was 99%. You gained 79,200 EXP.

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A total EXP of 158,500!

That was Han Xiao’s total gain from the successful killing of Pan Kuang!

A victory against opponents of higher levels could generate additional rewards.

To activate such additional rewards, the opponent defeated needed to be at least five levels higher. The additional EXP was in accordance to the respective contribution rates of the member of a team since most missions were team challenges. If any member of the team failed to meet the criteria mentioned, the entire team would be deprived of the additional rewards. Such a measure highlighted the importance of good cooperation, and cheating from the players was prevented. It also prevented the occurrence of free-loaders that leeched onto the efforts of others.

Han Xiao finally relaxed and sat on the ground. He then lay down, allowing the rays of sunlight to hit his face. He closed his eyes in peace and enjoyed the calm and silence after the battle, as if all the damage and destruction did not exist.

A thought suddenly flashed in his mind, and he immediately jumped up and checked his pants. The little Han Xiao in his pants was all good. He heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, the sleeping dragon in his pants had not been damaged at all.

After a short rest, Han Xiao started to check on the damage. The endurance levels for all his equipment had dropped drastically. The delayed-explosion explosives had all been used. His HP had started to recover, and the overall damage was within his expectations.

Han Xiao walked to Pan Kuang’s dead body, which was still in an upright position. He searched for any loot and found a hard object in Pan Kuang’s pocket. He took it out and discovered that it was a communication device from the Germinal Organization.

Han Xiao thought for a moment and decided to activate the device. Ten seconds later, a virtual image of the chief of the Germinal Organization appeared.

“Ji Jie, have you guys retreated successfully…” The chief was halfway through his words when he realized that something was amiss with the image transmitted over from the other side.

It was Han Xiao. The chief changed his expression immediately and glared at Han Xiao.

“Why are you here‽”

Zero was using Ji Jie’s communication device, and it was apparent that the base had been completely destroyed. It was also highly likely that Pan Kuang was dead.

“You have the audacity to contact me?” the enraged chief exclaimed.

“Yo, haven’t seen you for a long time.” Han Xiao laughed

If felt weird that Han Xiao was talking to him like a long-lost friend. The chief could not think of a reply immediately, so he paused for a moment. The chief then questioned, “Where did you obtain the confidential information?”

That was the greatest puzzle in the chief’s mind.

“Why do you think I will tell you the answer?” Han Xiao replied snobbishly.

“Do you think you can damage the power of the organization with such means? What a fool!” the chief yelled back.

“I sabotaged four of your bases.

“I can destroy you easily with my hands!

“I sabotaged four of your bases.

“There are many executive officers in the organization. You won’t be out there for long!

“I sabotaged four of your bases.”

Ahhh! Too angry!

From the tone of the chief’s words, it sounded as if he was chewing on metal and every word was filled with the utmost determination to kill Han Xiao. “Don’t you think that you will be able to escape from our clutches by pledging your allegiance to Stardragon. My guys will disintegrate every bone and tendon in you once they catch you!”

Han Xiao started laughing. Following that, he blew a kiss at the chief.

“Come and find me if you can? Hahaha…”

The chief was completely enraged upon hearing Han Xiao’s words of contempt. He wanted to say something, but before he could, Han Xiao destroyed the communication device. The screen blacked out.

The chief’s words of fury were stuck in his throat. He was shaking in anger.

“Increase the bounty on Zero to five million dollars!”

The bounty increased by five times!

…

Han Xiao wiped his smile away. Teasing the chief was not just a random act of entertainment.

The Germinal Organization was bound to send members to the West Capital to find him. They would not rest until he was dead.

The situation seemed disadvantageous to him, but in actual fact, it was not.

Because…Han Xiao never wanted to return to Stardragon!

This was his real plan!

Initially, Han Xiao turned to Stardragon to seek temporary asylum from the Germinal Organization and had the motive of advancing skills. He had long planned to use his Facial Simulator as a way to escape.

Once he had the Facial Simulator, it was almost impossible for the Germinal Organization to locate him. He no longer had to worry about being discovered and captured, which meant that he could go anywhere he wanted. He did not want to be restricted to an area where there was always a risk of angering the head of state. Furthermore, he could mislead the Germinal Organization with regards to his whereabouts. For them to focus all their attention on Stardragon…that was definitely not fun for Han Xiao! Definitely not!

Even if he wanted to borrow Stardragon’s strength and resources to crush the Germinal Organization, he no longer needed to put himself under the government’s control. Naturally, Stardragon did not fully trust him despite its amicable treatment of him. They had planted an extremely discrete GPS locator in his encrypted phone, which he had discovered long ago. It was finally the time for him to disarm it.

It was last three months before the open beta. He needed to level up quickly and accumulate more resources. There were countless missions on the planet, and he treasured every one of them greatly.

He had accumulated sufficient resources while working with Division 13. It was now time to drop his pretense of sincerity toward Stardragon and go solo.

He could now go anywhere he wanted on the vast planet.

His plans were meticulous and closely-linked.

In Han Xiao’s eyes, his pleasant relationship with Stardragon was not enough to convince him to stay in a place that lacked the potential to become more powerful. Furthermore, once they reached Version 2.0, even the Six nations and the Germinal Organization would become feeble.

These entities were now powerful and stable and could fight with one another through both open and secret means. However, the moment a planetary-grade disaster swept the planet, they would realize that their individual interests were hollow and meaningless compared to the survival of the whole civilization. Their statuses now were like colorful bubbles flying under the Sunlight—they could easily burst with a slight poke.

Version 1.0 hasn’t started. It will last for seven months in real life, which translates to about three and a half years in game time. Additionally, the time, in game, between the version updates will last for a year. This means that I am still five years away from the Undead Crisis.

The Undead Crisis was a huge disaster. It will be better for me to avoid the beginning of it at the start of Version 2.0, which will be the most dangerous and chaotic period. This means that in these five years, I will have to dig out all the things are useful for me on this planet and then find a way to leave this planet for a while.

Han Xiao was in deep thought.

Suddenly, a new message was shown on the Interface.

_____________________

[Camp mission: Destroy Dark Crow Valley Base] Completion Rate 100%. Contribution Rate 72%. You gained 36,000 EXP!

Mission Ended.

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It seemed that the Heslean army just finished the battle.

Han Xiao was quite satisfied with the result. He would only have gotten a completion rate of forty to fifty percent if he did not kill Pan Kuang and gang. It had been worth the trouble to infiltrate alone and plant two spies in the base, which allowed him to monitor the enemy’s movements the whole time. This was the reason he had received such a high contribution rate and reward.

_____________________

Camp-Destroyer Mission [Dark Crow Valley Base] has been completed. You completed:

– [Reconnaissance I]

– [Reconnaissance II]

– [Dark Crow Forest Assassin]

– [Direct Conflict]

– [Assassination II]

– [Assassination III]

– [Destroy Dark Crow Valley Base]

Calculating Mission Stats… Calculation Completed. Performance Rating: Excellent

Reputation with Stardragon Strategic Defense Department increased by 1,120. Current Relationship: Friendly (1370/3000)

Reputation with the Germinal Organization decreased by 500. Current Relationship: Hatred (-1500/3000)

You received an Excellent performance rating: Additional 50% EXP (18,000), Random Reward x1.

Random Reward type is being decided…

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Can’t believe there is a random reward. Seems like I’m quite lucky this time. Han Xiao was delighted. Large-scale missions and serial missions would release performance ratings upon completion. The probability of an excellent rating triggering a random award was only thirty percent, so it was rather uncommon. The system would decide first which type of random reward the player would receive—it could be anything, such as EXP, equipment, skills, stat points, or talent points. Then, the player could select the choices provided under the reward.

_____________________

You received the Random Reward Type: [Innate Ability]

Randomizing… Randomization complete. Please choose one option from the following:

– Strengthened Body: HP+400, Abnormality Resistance+4%

– Quick Pace: Agility+6, Attack Speed+5%

– Strengthened Spirit: Mystery+5, Willpower Resistance+8%

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Han Xiao held onto his chin and started deliberating.

All three abilities had mediocre effects. [Strengthened Body] increased health points, so it was more suited for tank players. Usually, he employed long-range attacks, and he still had a magnetic suit to protect his body, so he did not require the additional HP for now.

[Quick Paced] seemed decent. Agility affected many different aspects of a long-range attacks, including accuracy, critical rate, and movement speed etc. This ability could potentially increase his attack output by eight to ten percent.

[Strengthened Spirit] was only useful for Mages and Psychics.

Han Xiao thus opted for [Quick Paced].

_____________________

You gained an innate ability [Quick Paced].

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Han Xiao looked at his interface. He still had 12 Unassigned Stats that he had gained from levelling-up. He then added them all into Intelligence. His Intelligence was now his highest stat, standing at 88 points.

There was an increase of 1.8% on the A-class Quest [Fall of the Germinal]. Although it did not look like a significant increase for now, Xiao Han knew that the future potential gains would be much greater—at least ten to fifteen percent more. Because Dark Crow Valley Base was the nearest point of contact for future players to join the Germinal Organization. Without it, many ‘real’ players would join a camp that was nearer and more convenient for them. This would greatly contain the rate of expansion of the Germinal Organization in the near future.

The head of Germinal still did not realize the importance of this base; he was only dismayed by the loss of an ordinary large base.

Intel from Han Xiao allowed other powers an opportunity to attack the Germinal Organization. The mission progress he received from such events was less than a direct assault by himself based on the calculation of contribution rating. But if he were to insist on attacking the organization personally, the individual damage he could deal would not be sufficient to keep up with organization’s rate of expansion. Naturally, his best option was to mass distribute intel that could harm the organization.

The minimum progress needed for the Camp Destroyer mission was only twenty percent. It was not required for him to chase after perfection lest he risked losing out on other missions.

It is time to change the method of supplying intel. Han Xiao squinted.

After completing the mission, it was time for him to work on other important things.

Han Xiao went onto the radio and spoke to Lin Yao.

“How is the situation now?”

“Brother Xiao! The Heslean Army has seized all the supplies in Dark Crow Valley Base. They also captured a few hundred of their members, including Dormund. Unfortunately, the two directors, Pan Kuang and Ji Jie, got away.”

“Where is the army now?”

“They are still sweeping the battleground. They will probably retreat to the border tomorrow.”

“Okay. Message received.”

…

After the Heslean army finished sweeping the battleground, they set up camp on site and prepared for a withdrawal the next day.

Lin Yao and Lambert went on to meet up with the rest, and the Division 13 agents gathered to commend them for their excellent intel work.

“The younger generation of agents is very capable,” Ma Qing Yang commented.

“Xiao Lin Lin, your teammates have done a great job,” said Di Su Su.

The rest chimed in. “You guys did an excellent job. Really commendable.”

“We acted under the directions given by Brother Xiao.” Lin Yao was feeling slightly uneasy with all the praise.

The fellow Division 13 agents realized that it was Han Xiao who deserved all the recognition.

Qi Bai Jia decided to praise Han Xiao’s contribution strongly in his report. However, he realized that Han Xiao was still not back.

“Hey, where is he?”

“He is probably delayed by certain things.”

As the sky turned dark, Han Xiao was still nowhere to be seen.

“How is he still not back?” Li Ya Lin was puzzled, so she nudged Lin Yao to prompt him to contact Han Xiao.

“I tried to communicate with him more than forty times, but he still hasn’t answered.” Lin Yao was out of options.

It was dawn. The Heslean army was ready to move back to the border, but Han Xiao was still missing. Division 13 agents started imagining the possibilities for such an odd happening.

Zhang Wei had a sudden thought. “Is it possible that Han Xiao has already moved back to the border?”

“This is possible. Han Xiao has always moved around on his own. He may think that it is not necessary for him to meet up with them now.” Everyone pondered over this possibility.

All the agents followed the army back while this worry lingered in their minds.

…

The Hesla troops looked relaxed and were rather undisciplined on the way back.

In the middle of the troops, Colonel Carl was sitting in the command vehicle. He was deliberating over a very grave problem.

In this mission, he did not have an outstanding performance. Instead, he made a critical error in his decision, which resulted in unnecessary casualties. This would most definitely lead to a poor evaluation of his ability by the higher ups.

He had to artificially raise his significance in this mission to obtain more merits for this attack.

If I could take credit for Division 13’s contribution…

Carl had an idea. He could perhaps write on the report that it was him who instructed Han Xiao to take his two teammates to spy in the base that gave them critical intel. In this scenario, his significance as a commanding office would be greatly elevated.

This can work.

Division 13 will leave as soon as the mission is completed. They can’t possibly come to Hesla and expose me. Furthermore, my report to the higher-ups will be kept secret from everyone else.

All of a sudden, there was a commotion coming from the outside of the vehicle, and Carl realized that the troops had stopped moving.

“Colonel, there are two corpses in front of us. They seem to be Pan Kuang and Ji Jie.”

Carl was in shock. He left the vehicle quickly to check out the bodies. It was really the two directors of the base.

The troops were astonished, and they started chattering. They remembered how strong these two directors had been just few days ago, but they had been killed just like this.

“Who did this! Who left the bodies here?” Carl shouted.

Nobody had an answer as the troops looked at one another. They had just discovered the bodies.

Division 13 soon arrived at the scene upon hearing the commotion. They were too dumbfounded.

“It must be Han Xiao’s doing.”

“It’s unbelievable that he actually succeeded!”

“But why did he place the bodies on the road? This is just giving free credit to the Hesleans.”

Carl was beaming joyously; he could claim credit for killing the directors. He waved at his troops to wrap up the bodies and take them back to camp.

Just as the troops moved the bodies, the sound of landmines being activated was heard.

The troops were terrified, and they quickly jumped away in different directions.

Carl was caught off guard. He only had the time to drop on the floor.

However, there was no explosion after seconds had passed. A brave soldier stood up and went to dig out the landmines. He weighed it in his hand and realized that it was very light.

“This is not a real mine. They are all empty.”

The troops were infuriated by the prank.

“This is not funny at all.”

“What a wretched move!”

“I just peed in my pants!”

Division 13 agents had a weird look their faces—they did not know whether to laugh at what they saw.

“This seems like something Han Xiao would do,” Li Ya Lin mumbled.

Carl stood up with a flustered look on his face. His clean and well-pressed officer uniform was now covered in mud and grass.

He was now livid. He knew it was Xiao Han who did it. He wanted to ruffle him with a prank like this.

“What a childish play!” he said in anger.

Bang!

A faint gunshot was heard faraway.

The bullet pierced through Carl’s temple, and it brought a dash of blood out of his head.

Carl’s eyes were still wide open. He was unable to comprehend what had just transpired, totally caught unaware. His eyes were filled with the longing for life and a pinch of disbelief. His body wobbled before it landed flat on the floor.

Just a moment ago, he had been dreaming of his military success and his bright future. He could not believe that he had been killed on the way back to claim credit for his success in the mission!

At this moment, everyone, including the Division 13 agents and the troops, was shell-shocked.

They could not believe what had just happened before their eyes!

…..

On a faraway cliff top, Han Xiao raised his head from the scope of a sniper. He was looking relaxed.

What goes around comes around.